Let me begin by saying I greatly enjoyed the Theology Matters blog put together by New Frontiers. If you enjoy thoughtful, devotional, and spirit-filled conversation on theology, this blog will be of service to you. Having said that, Liam Thatcher, pastor at Christ Church of London is out with a great article called, “Revisiting Piper on Mission and Worship.” Thatcher writes that everyone should be familiar with Piper’s legendary quote in Let the Nations Be Glad: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” But have we really considered what this means. What is the priority explained here and how does this correspond with our missionally-charged day and age? Now to address any wayward thoughts you might have about Thatcher, Piper, or myself, this is not to negate or quench the flame of the church’s mission responsibility. Missions must be a priority. But missions must also be rightly placed. Thatcher aptly asks,

Are we in danger of creating a culture – which will only bear its bitter fruit in the next generation – in which the only model of worship that new disciples see is a short one, with two (maximum) inoffensive songs, and barely any Spirit-led interaction, which they then assume is what worship is meant to be like? What happens when those disciples become the next generation of church planters and worship leaders?

Read the whole article here.

Check out Piper’s book here.