One of the many issues that comes up from time to time, is that of the relationship between theology and worship. I have often time advocated for and pronounced the notion of a worshipful theology on the one hand, and a theology of worship on the other. The Church of Jesus Christ needs to have a theology which celebrates the liberating and salvific works of God in history, and at the same time, a well thought-out worship. The two go hand in hand. We cannot do a theology that does not have a component of celebration and praise, and neither can we have worship which is based on blind and uninformed emotions.
A big challenge for the Church of Christ in Latin America, and also for the Church which exists under oppressive conditions in all parts of the world is to consider the following questions:
1. How can we as a Church construct and develop a theology which emerges not from ivory tower speculation, but rather from the reality of suffering?
2. How can we as a Christian community carry out celebration and worship in the midst of oppression and suffering?
3. How can we as the Church make the distinction between faith as an anesthetic on the one hand, and faith as a lens of reality on the other?
There are no easy or simple answers to the above questions. The Church has a call from God to articulate its faith in such a way that it will be understandable to both its constituents and to the world to which it seeks to apply the message of liberation. The Church is also called to teach its constituents and the world how "to sing the Lord's song in a strange land." The Church is, furthermore, called to enable its constituents to have a critical and analytical view of the socio-political environments in which it operates.
New ways of theological thought and praxis have been taking shape in Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, and Afro-America. Theological initiatives have been flowering throughout the oppressed world, and the struggle for the pursuit of human freedom as the gift of God, who wills all persons to be free, has been gaining momentum. The new wave of the articulation of the faith and the search for common dialogue and solidarity among Third World theologians have made in impressive mark on the consciousness of Third World Christians. Black theology, Minjun theology, liberation theology, and emancipatory theology have all been promoted as authentic expressions of understanding the faith in Third World contexts. Local theologies proclaim the Gospel of freedom as the essential meaning of the person and work of Jesus Christ. A central theme is Paul's dictum in Galatians 5:1, "For freedom Christ has set us free, stand fast, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery (Kortright Davis, Emancipation Still Comin. Maryknoll:Orbis books, 1990, p. 105)."
"Freedom" and "liberation" are central motifs in Latin /American theology. We may ask "Freedom and liberation from what?" Classical evangelical theology tends to focus on individual conversion from sin. The emphasis tends to be on liberation from individual sins such as sexual immorality, vices of alcohol, drug and tobacco consumption, and in many cases, abstention from certain types of social entertainment. The biblical concept of liberation, however, is more structural and systemic, which approaches human beings in their social settings.
Traditional evangelical theology also focuses on "spiritual" liberation, which prepares people for celebration in the hereafter. Liberation Theology focuses on having the Church carry out a liberating mission which will enable us to celebrate the "here and now," as we engage in God's liberating acts, which are designed to dismantle unjust social and political structures, and replace them with structures which will allow all people to live in dignity in the present.
In spite of the many advances made in Liberation Theology-advances that have caused reactionary governments to take countervailing action and to encourage theological espionage (police interested in theology?)-there remains a need for substantial range of active reflection. Because the notion of "liberation" has been heavily overlaid with exclusive, and even divisive, ideological, and political concerns, the term "liberation" seems to be in urgent need of emancipation. When North Atlantic liberals speak of "liberation," they often seem to mean something different from what the word stands for in the lives of those on the underside of history.. And yet, both types of people are genuinely in search of freedom. Therefore, the importance of context must be borne in mind, since what is wine for one might be poison for another. For those on the underside of history, i.e. the historically poor and oppressed, the notion of emancipation might be more meaningful than the notion of liberation. It ushers in a deeper range of theological reflection and response than is usually offered in the varieties in contemporary theologies (Davis, p. 106).
How then, do we move forwards from liberation to praise? As worship, Liberation Theology gives concrete meaning to the evangelical vision of a new heaven and earth by seeking to bring into historical reality the freedom from heaven on earth. This emancipatory vision of present conditions in the light of future possibilities enkindles the heart with joyful courage and the lips with joyful praise (Ibid., p. 115).
Howard Thurman says "I will sing a new song. As difficult as it is, I must learn the new song that is capable of meeting the new need. I must fashion new words born of all the new growth of my life, mind and spirit (Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart. Richmond, Indiana: Friends United Press, 1976. p. 206).
This celebration in the midst of suffering is reflected in a song of the Latin American and Hispanic churches in the U.S.A., i.e. Yo Canto en el Gozo, Yo Canto en la Prueba (I Sing in Times of Joy, I Sing in Times of Trial )." It also reflects the words of the Psalm writer who says "I will praise the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34)."
Liberation Theology teaches us how to sing the Lord's song as we march towards freedom. The difficulties and troubles of the present do not hinder us from pursuing the freedom to which God has called us and to which God moves us. The goal of complete liberation inspires us to remain in the struggle..
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dr. Juan A. Carmona
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