Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship [Paperback]

Leonard J. Vander Zee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2004

Winner of a Christianity Today 2005 Book Award! Baptism. The Lord's Supper. We recognize these church practices. But do we really grasp their meaning and place in Christian worship? Is our neglect of them hindering our communion with Christ? Are we missing the real drama of our salvation? Often the object of debate, the sacraments are likewise neglected and superficially understood. Leonard Vander Zee makes a compelling case that these problems can be overcome when we see the connection between Baptism and the Lord's Supper and the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God. Founding his discussion in biblical teaching reaching back to the creation narrative and forward to the teaching of Jesus and the apostle Paul, Vander Zee sees the Christ-centered celebration of these sacraments as essential to the renewal of the church. A reappropriation of Baptism and the Eucharist, especially in the evangelical church, holds great promise for healing the rift between the natural and the spiritual, the personal and social, the head and the heart, and between the body of believers and our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us and now lives to make intercessions for us. In Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper,Vander Zee not only opens up a Christ-centered approach to the sacraments but also provides guidance on the practical matters that face pastors and parishioners in the pursuit of a renewed and authentic Christian worship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pastor Vander Zee invites evangelicals into a sacramental experience of the Savior they love. This engaging book unfolds biblical and theological teaching in ways that are both challenging and compelling." (M. Craig Barnes, Meneilly Professor of Leadership and Ministry, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary )

"In Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper Leonard Vander Zee offers a gift to the whole church. His marvelous clarity, theological acuity and personal warmth make this book a joy to read. Most of all, he helps us reclaim the worship practices of an embodied faith, the bath and the feast that demonstrate Christ's real presence in a world grown weary of mere words." (Andy Crouch, Columnist, Christianity Today )

"This insightful analysis from a pastor who practices what he preaches promises to deepen our view not only of baptism and the Lord's Supper but also of our Lord. Just as the eyes of Elisha's servant were opened to see the chariots of fire that encircled Elisha (2 Kings 6), so too the themes of this book can help us perceive the vibrant, nourishing ways that God works through worship. In an age tempted to treat worship merely as a means to other ends, this vision is one that will comfort, challenge and transform us." (John D. Witvliet, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary )

"Here, at last, is a major primer on the sacraments for evangelicals. Drawing on the wisdom of the Reformation traditions, as well as the wider Christian heritage, Pastor Vander Zee shows us how our worship can be enriched, and God more greatly glorified, through a new focus on baptism and the Lord’s Supper. A wonderful guide to a deeper understanding of 'the visible words of God.'" (Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, and Executive Editor, Christianity Today )

"From the ranks of deeply educated clergy Leonard Vander Zee steps forward to testify on the sacraments. He does so with power and beauty that stick in the mind. Absorbing!" (Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Ph.D., President and Professor of Systematic Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary )

"The new attitude given to baptism and the Lord's Supper among evangelicals is a positive sign of the deepening of evangelical faith and worship. Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper is an important contribution to the current trend toward sacramental thinking because it is rooted in tradition and applied to the health of the present church. More than a study, it is a guide for thoughtful action." (Robert Webber, Myers Professor of Ministry, Northern Baptist Seminary )

Product Details

• Paperback: 249 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (August 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830827862
• ISBN-13: 978-0830827862
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring read, December 18, 2004

By 

Syd J. Hielema (Sioux Center, IA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship (Paperback)

As a Christian worship leader with a growing sense that my own church does not give the sacraments of baptism and Lord's Supper a strong enough place in its worship (along with many other churches), I found this book inspiring, solidly biblical, wonderfully informative concerning how certain traditions developed over the centuries, and very helpful for me as I hope to challenge my own church to honor the sacraments more fully. I recommend it very highly. Dr. Syd Hielema

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, January 20, 2006

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R. Stander "axisofaccess.blogspot.com" (Grand Forks, ND) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship (Paperback)

Vander Zee, a Christian Reformed pastor in Indiana has produced a fine introduction to the sacraments. Vander Zee issued a challenge which caused me to sit up straight as I read it,
"...I firmly believe that there is a discernable thread of common understanding in the New Testament that flows, in turn, into the life and practices of the early church. I also beleive that all of the us, Catholics and Protestants, Baptists and Reformed, do in fact share 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism,' as Paul says in Ephesians 4.5. We all need to set aside our underlined proof texts, our favorite theologians (tho he does rely heavily upon Calvin but not exclusively by any means), and try to meet together in that biblical center from which all our understandings come, and where they can still converge." (p78)

In the preface VZ addresses the correlation between a deficiency in the sacraments and its inevitable impact upon ecclesiology. Following Philip Lee (Against the Protestant Gnostics) he questions the dualism or at worst gnostic tendencies of protestantism which tends to elevate the spiritual and denigrate the material and the body. What struck me was the very physicality of the sacraments.

At its heart, VZ locates the sacraments in their proper place deriving their "meaning from Christ and that is is Christ who through them, by the Holy Spirit, unites us to himself." (p.11)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recovering the relationship between Christ, the Word and the Sacraments, November 8, 2008

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C. Stephans - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship (Paperback)

Vander Zee offers a well written, resourceful and convincing book on the rightful and important place of baptism and the Lord's Supper in contemporary worship and Christian lives. He helpfully defines the sacraments and provides historical viewpoints, background and the theology behind them. He focuses on Baptism and the Lord's Supper and explains their significance and their cohesion with the Lord and the Word. He continuously refers to Scripture, the early church Fathers and the reformers to show the place of the sacraments in church tradition. He relies heavily on Calvin but also includes references to Luther and others. He shows that patterns of church worship or teaching that do not give sacraments their rightful place is innovative and not at all in line with orthodox, traditional Spirit-inspired Christianity. Vander Zee calls his understanding of the sacraments "thoroughly biblical, Reformed and evangelical."

This is an excellent introduction and full account of the sacraments. I recommend it for all readers.

Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays