The Precursor
September 2001
The Newsletter of the Cincinnati Society
of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
Worship from Doctrine
THIS COMING FALL the subject of worship will be a particularly significant one for the Cincinnati Society. We are going to begin, September 9, having regular weekly worship services, rather than bimonthly ones. With a pastor who also has traveling work as part of his duties, this is only possible with the support of those willing to help conduct lay services. In recent months we have held a number of informal meetings planning for these services, and we have discussed both the principles involved and also the practical details. It is going to require a significant commitment on the part of a few, and I am grateful to those who will be making this possible. Our goal is to keep our doors open for public worship each and every Sunday, with the exception of August.
Also this fall we will be launching a series of doctrinal workshops on the subject of worship, and opening this up to participation over the Net by those not in Cincinnati. We have already held a couple of introductory sessions locally, and soon the details of the project will appear on our church website (www.newchurch-cincy.org). Please email the pastor at info@newchurch-cincy.org if you would like to be notified of these details. Our plan is to work together on a joint research project, exploring what the Writings have to say about the subject of worship. There are close to two thousand passages in the Writings which speak directly of worship, and we do not expect to consider more than a small selection of these passages. We do, though, hope to deepen our understanding of what the Writings teach about this most important subject.
By turning to the teachings of the Writings to explore this subject, we are also following what is taught right near the beginning of the book, "New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine," about worship and the New Jerusalem. Reflect, if you will, on the following passage:
"Jerusalem" means the church itself as to doctrine, because there in the land of Canaan, and in no other place, were the temple, the altar, the sacrifices, and thus Divine worship itself. On this account, also, three festivals were celebrated there every year, to which every male throughout the whole land was commanded to go. This, then, is the reason why "Jerusalem," in the spiritual sense, signifies the church as to worship, or, what is the same, as to doctrine; for worship is prescribed in doctrine, and is performed according to it. . . . It is called "the New Jerusalem" for the same reason that "the earth" is called "new;" because, as was observed above, "the earth" signifies the church, and "Jerusalem," the church as to doctrine; which is said "to descend from God out of heaven," because all Divine truth, whence doctrine is derived, descends out of heaven from the Lord. (HD 6)
It is very tempting to think that we are to fashion worship from our own feelings and our own ideas. In an age ruled by individualism, such an approach is commonly assumed to be the proper one. After all, it is, we think, our worship. But the reality is that true worship of the Lord comes from Him. This is why the worship of the New Jerusalem is said to be "prescribed in doctrine," for doctrine is derived from Divine truth, and Divine truth "descends out of heaven from the Lord." This is the very import of the phrase, "heavenly doctrines." It is our belief that these doctrines have come down from the Lord out of heaven.
We need Divine revelation to guide us in our worship of the Lord.
. . . from the rational present in everyone a person may know that he ought to love his neighbour and to worship God; but how he ought to love his neighbour and worship God, and so what constitutes spiritual good and truth, he cannot know except from the Word. (AC 3768:2)
Indeed, the very act of worship, true worship, must be from the Lord Himself:
A person who is not acquainted with the arcana of heaven supposes that worship is from himself, because he thinks and adores; yet the worship which is from a person himself is not worship, but that which is from the Lord with him. For love and faith make worship, and as love and faith are from the Lord, worship also is from Him; neither can a person uplift into heaven anything from himself, but the Lord uplifts it; . . . (AC 10203).
We would be foolhardy to claim that what we understand from the Word about worship is somehow infallible. There are many, many teachings, and we ourselves are limited and frail when it comes to seeing the truth. And yet it would be a false humility indeed were we to say that, since people's approach to the Word is fallible, ignore the Word. It would be completely wrong to fashion worship for ourselves from our own affections or from current trends. The Lord does teach and lead us from within His Word, and even though we are fallible, He can help us and guide us ever closer towards a true worship of Himself.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. (Ps. 95:6-7)
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Editorial (c) 2001 by Patrick A. Rose.
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, all events are at the church building. Classes for those in high school and for younger children are available upon request.
The Reading Discussion group meets normally twice a month. We are currently reading from the Old and New Testaments during our sessions. There is no advance reading, but please bring a Bible with you.
If you are scheduled for a specific job and are unable to be there, please could you find a substitute, and, if possible, notify the pastor in advance. Thank you.
Sat. Sept. 8 Society Supper at Mayers'. 5:30pm. Please phone Gill if coming. Class and discussion about upcoming lay services. 7:00pm.
Sun. Sept. 9 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Volunteer needed. Sunday School: Volunteer needed. Sunday School Subject: See Jane. Flowers: Volunteer needed.
Mon. Sept. 10 Swedenborg Reading Group. 7:30 pm. Books and Co. 350 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, Ohio. Contact Jane Blair, (937) 859-4466, or the bookstore, at (937) 298-6540. Refreshments served. Coffee available at the cafe. This group provides a forum for those who have encountered the work of Emanuel Swedenborg and wish to know more. Everybody is invited and welcome.
Tues. Sept. 11 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. 2 Corinthians 1ff. No advance reading.
Sat. Sept. 15 Homeopathic Study Group. 10:00am. Meeting room. Privately sponsored event. All welcome.
Sun. Sept. 16 Lay service. 11:00am. Meeting room. Lay Leader: Max Blair.
Sat. Sept. 22 General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: "Worship." Workshop. No suggested advance reading. Refreshments: Volunteer needed.
Sun. Sept, 23 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Volunteer needed. Sunday School: Volunteer needed. Sunday School Subject: See Jane. Flowers: Volunteer needed.
Mon. Sept. 24 Swedenborg Reading Group. 7:30 pm. Books and Co. 350 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, Ohio. Contact Jane Blair, (937) 859-4466, or the bookstore, at (937) 298-6540. Refreshments served. Coffee available at the cafe. This group provides a forum for those who have encountered the work of Emanuel Swedenborg and wish to know more. Everybody is invited and welcome.
Tues. Sept. 25 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.
Wed. Sept. 26 Trustees. 7:30pm.
Sun. Sept. 30. Lay service. 11:00am. Meeting room. Lay Leader: Patrick Mayer.
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Bill Cook
We have received word that Mr. Bill Cook, most recently of Pekin, IL, has entered the spiritual world. Mr. Cook was very much involved in making it possible for us to own our church building. Though I have no specific details, I wanted to record in the pages of this newsletter the passing of a most generous man.
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Ruth Abaecherli
Ruth Abaecherli, of Cincinnati, who was a member of the General Church, and who in recent years joined the Catholic Church, was called to the spiritual world on June 30, 2001, at the age of 88. A mass of Christian burial was held in St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church in Hamilton. Burial was at Spring Grove Cemetery.
Ruth once told me that her aunt had met John "Appleseed" Chapman in person, and that her aunt had commented on the amazing personal presence of the man.
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Change of Address
Endrede Gladish
[Details available by emailing us.]
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Homeopathic Study Group
The Cincinnati Homeopathic Study Group will resume its fall schedule Saturday, September 15th from 10:00am to noon. We will meet every month on the third Saturday of the month through May. This is a free event and everyone is welcome. This year we will study how to differentiate the top 40 remedy based on common criteria, such as thirst, fever, restlessness, etc. For more information, please call Shirley Reischman at (513) 531-3060.
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