Tradition and Reform

1 Samuel 15:22 -29






Tradition and Reform



During the time of Reformation in 1543 John Calvin wrote a letter to the French Emperor Charles V on the Necessity of Reforming the Church quoting the verse from the Book of Samuel : "Obedience is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22). Jesus looked at the Jewish worship tradition and said, "...in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines"(Matt. 15:9). Obeying God does not mean going back to the times of Jesus' or Moses' and imitate what they did. Obedience means fulfilling the will and purpose of God in our lives in today's world. One important principle while reforming Christian worship is to constantly check whether we are obeying God or our self-interest in worship. Unless we keep Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, justice, peace and happiness in the Holy Spirit, the Church will remain part of the status quo, devoid of its light and salt, a useless parasitic religion, destroying the very purpose of the Church. Purpose of worship is not to be fulfillment of our desires, but to glorify God by serving others.