Dustin Parker | Concordia University, Irvine (original) (raw)

Papers by Dustin Parker

There are many views on the Lord's Supper, and many names for it. This paper looks at the Biblica... more There are many views on the Lord's Supper, and many names for it. This paper looks at the Biblical Basis for celebrating it, some basic philosophy governing its celebration, and a pragmatic review of how that works in one parish.
It is the final project for one of the courses in my Ph.D.

Some will call it the Lord's Supper, others the Eucharist, or the Lord's Table. But this celebrat... more Some will call it the Lord's Supper, others the Eucharist, or the Lord's Table. But this celebration is essential to the life of the church. This paper looks at Biblical presuppositions for the Table, some philosophical principles for celebrating the table, and some pragmatic examples from my parish.
The goal is to ensure that people understand this is not some dry tradition, but God in our midst.

Congregations have to change, some going more traditional, some going more contemporary, some doi... more Congregations have to change, some going more traditional, some going more contemporary, some doing something completely different with their worship service.
This paper looks at how to go through change focusing the congregation ever more on Jesus.

Some basic introductory thoughts on Christian Meditation and Contemplation

I Will Be Your God, and You Will Be My People: God's Plan for Worship, 2019

This paper was submitted for the course: Biblical Foundations of Worship as part of the capstone ... more This paper was submitted for the course: Biblical Foundations of Worship as part of the capstone project. It takes the approach that worship, no matter where in scripture, starts with the redemptive action,

Devotional Thought for our seemingly broken days: 15 I am speaking as to sensible people; judge f... more Devotional Thought for our seemingly broken days: 15 I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:15-16 (NAB) 4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. 5 For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. Romans 6:4-5 (NAB) The Lord could say that his Body was " given " only because he had in fact given it; he could present his Blood in the new chalice as shed for many only because he really had shed it. This Body is not the ever-dead corpse of a dead man, nor is the Blood the life-element rendered lifeless. No, sacrifice has become gift, for the Body given in love and the Blood given in love have entered, through the Resurrection, into the eternity of love, which is stronger than death. Without the Cross and Resurrection, Christian worship is null and void, and a theology of liturgy that omitted any reference to them would really just be talking about an empty game. As much as I appreciate the Lord's Supper, as much as I've meditated on it and studied it, I've never thought about it as I read the blue quote above. I have read the great book by Pope Benedict, (then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) several times, in fact, I've used it as a supplemental text when I teach on the liturgy. And yet, I've never considered the point that is offered above. That not only do we share, participate, fellowship, become partners with Christ's body during the celebration of the Eucharist (Communion/Lord's Supper) we are also because He is risen, a partner in the resurrection, drawn into His resurrected life, and into the " eternity of love. " This is a mind-blowing thing to me, and be patient with me while I process it. As someone formally trained in non-denominational theology, and then in Lutheran theology, I tend to think of the Lord's Supper given His death, His offering of His body as the hilasterion, the sacrifice of blood that covers and cleanses us from our sin. I know well the implications of that and am in awe to think of it. When I lead people to the altar, with the cross overhanging it, when we commune together in front of the New Testament version of the mercy seat (Lev. 6:14) my thoughts are almost always on the love of God poured out on the cross. There we meditate on the Body was broken, and the Blood was shed. By no means am I saying that this is still not true! There is something there, in these words of Pope Benedict, that I have witnessed so many times at the altar, the incredible, glorious mystery that happens as people come and are joined again to the death of Jesus, and that is that they come alive in that moment. You can see their bodies change, as they enter into this blessed moment, this feast, (I want to use the old word " repast ") as the brokenness is shorn away from them, as the wait is lifted. As they are revived in their spirit, it shows physically. This is the missing key, the idea that not only are we given the gift of His death for us, but the gift of His resurrection, the gift of life in the resurrected Christ! This is something that we don't understand, if we only think of the Lord's Supper as in sharing in His death (though it does certainly proclaim it so strongly) We don't see it if we only see our sharing in the dead, lifeless corpse. But our souls get it, as this feast is one of incredible joy, one of peace that shatters the chaos of life.

Most of us hope to grow in our faith. We want to become stronger in our faith, to gain more knowl... more Most of us hope to grow in our faith. We want to become stronger in our faith, to gain more knowledge, more wisdom, to see sin's hold on us weaken. We want to be like the strong conquering heroes of the faith. (which is another blog)
We aren't, we fall and stumble and some days make progress in reverse. Those days may be more a blessing than we realize, days we need... some thoughts in this morning's simple devotional thought.

Hebrews 2:1-13, a brief review of the Lordship of Christ, and what Christ has committed to, in be... more Hebrews 2:1-13, a brief review of the Lordship of Christ, and what Christ has committed to, in becoming our Lord.

Drafts by Dustin Parker

There are many Theological positions on the Lord's Supper. This work is more a pragmatic study of... more There are many Theological positions on the Lord's Supper. This work is more a pragmatic study of it, covering Biblical presuppositions, philosophical principles governing its administration, and a look at how that works out in a local parish
it is part of my PhD Studies in Christian Worship at Liberty Univ.

In these days where many are thrust into the role of leading worship in the church, this paper fo... more In these days where many are thrust into the role of leading worship in the church, this paper focuses on issues of concern. They include discipleship, spiritual formation, collaboration, team building, and an introduction to understanding the milieu of the congregation
It also includes a suggested pedagogical application, an outline for a continuing education course for those in ministry, and responsible for developing their worship leaders.
The entire document was originally a project for one of my doctoral courses.

What Are We Giving to People? Some Thoughts about the Purpose of Preaching and Leading Worship De... more What Are We Giving to People? Some Thoughts about the Purpose of Preaching and Leading Worship Devotional Thought of the Day: 14 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, 15 this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. 16 I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— 17 that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, 18 you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! 19 Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (MSG) I have already referred to contemplation as one of the two realities of the spiritual life, the other being participation. I have identified Christian contemplation with Mary who " pondered … in her heart " (Luke 2:19). Christian contemplation ponders, reflects, gazes, and delights in the wonders and the mysteries of God active in this world " reconciling the world to himself " (2 Cor. 5:19). In Christian contemplation God is the subject who acts in history; contemplation enters God's vision of the world and is stunned, filled with wonder, amazed, full of inner delight and joy. This contemplation is, in sum, an experience of God's presence. The realization of his presence in the world, creation, incarnation, death, and resurrection and the ultimate presence of God in the fulfillment of history in the new heavens and the new earth is the subject of our contemplation. But the theme of the suffering God can thrive only when it is anchored in love for God and in a prayerful recourse to his love. According to the encyclical Haurietis aquas, the passions of Jesus, which are depicted as united and uniting in the Heart, are a justification and a reason for the fact that even in the relationship between God and man the heart—that is, the capacity for feeling, the emotional aspect of love—must be included. Incarnational spirituality must be a spirituality of the passions, a heart-to-heart spirituality. Precisely in that way is it an Easter spirituality, for the mystery of Easter is, by its very nature, a mystery of suffering, a mystery of the heart. 3 After all, the chief purpose of all ceremonies is to teach the people what they need to know about Christ.

For over 50 years the church has studied and argued about church growth in the USA and Europe. Y... more For over 50 years the church has studied and argued about church growth in the USA and Europe. Yet in areas without such studies, consultants, trainers, there is huge growth in the Body of Christ.
Some thoughts to stimulate discussion

Some basic introductory thoughts on Christian Meditation and Contemplation

I Will Be Your God, and You Will Be My People: God's Plan for Worship, 2019