How the Liturgy can help believers understand and live in the “Already-Not Yet” paradox

How does a Christian make sense of the paradox of “Already-Not Yet”? We believe that the battle is already won for us through Christ, and the Kingdom of God has come and is coming – the ultimate fulfilment of which takes place when Jesus returns. Meanwhile, how do we live in anticipation of that day?

Christians have to manage this tension of believing that we are already (redeemed, saved, raised in Christ) but not yet (redeemed, saved, raised in Christ).

According to Dr Simon Chan, past Earnest Lau professor of systematic theology at Trinity Theological College, Pentecostal-charismatics have not, historically, managed this tension of the eschatological Kingdom well. 

He presented his paper, “The Liturgy and the Already-Not Yet Problematic: Towards a Holistic Pentecostal Spirituality” at the recent Asia Pentecostal Summit (October 29-November 1), organised by Global Pentecostal Voices and hosted by City Harvest Church.

The Summit saw a gathering of Pentecostal theologians and scholars from around the world, including Dr Amos Yong, author and professor of theology and mission at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Dr Craig S Keener, the FM and Ada Thompson professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary.

The problem: Under- and over-realised eschatologies of the Pentecostal-charismatics

Early Pentecostals tended to entertain an under-realised eschatology, emphasising heavily on the “Not Yet”, said Dr Chan.

“They were so focused on the future coming of Christ that they neglected present social issues. If Jesus could come ‘any time’, then the only thing worth doing is to save as many people as possible in the shortest possible time,” he noted.

This sparked withdrawal from the world and worldly things, from smoking and drinking to movies and pop music. Holiness was defined negatively; if you were holy you abstained from worldly things. 

On the other hand, modern Pentecostals are marked by an over-realised eschatology – “Already”.

Dr Chan said: “The promises of God, particularly health and wealth, can be realised in the here and now. Whereas in the past, Pentecostal eschatology was largely dispensational and futuristic, today the future dimension of the Christian life has largely receded and been replaced by a ‘Kingdom now’ theology. Anything imaginable is achievable if one has sufficient faith.”

He also noted that such a way of thinking – focusing on the glories of the Kingdom without an equal focus on the need to carry the Cross “has resulted in a way of life that has brought shame to the name of Christ.”

“Whether one’s eschatology is under- or over-realised, either does not promote wholesome Christian living,” Dr Chan stated.

Proposal: Believers learn to practise the Liturgy

To overcome these “twin” problems, Dr Chan proposed “a Christian spirituality predicated on the eschatological tension between the ‘Already’ and ‘Not Yet’. Such a spirituality comes from practicing the Liturgy.”

“The Liturgy addresses these problems because one, it is thoroughly eschatological and two, it is deeply formative.”

His reference to “liturgy” is theological, not rites-based. From a theological perspective, the liturgy refers to a pattern of worship centring on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and finding expression in Word and Sacrament. 

The Liturgy is eschatological in nature

Liturgical scholars agree that the Liturgy from beginning to end is thoroughly eschatological, said Dr Chan. It envisions the church existing in the world marked by the paradox of the “Already-Not Yet” dimensions of the Kingdom of God.

Why? Because liturgy is all about Jesus, Who He is, what He has done and what happens when He comes again. “Jesus is the very embodiment of the Kingdom,” explained Dr Chan. “His coming is the coming of the kingdom of God (cf. Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15). But the Kingdom revealed in the person of Jesus is enigmatic.”

He gave the example of the disciples’ understanding before and after Jesus died and rose from the dead.

Before the resurrection, the disciples did not understand or misunderstood many of the claims of Jesus, especially His suffering, death and resurrection.

But through their encounter with the risen Christ, Jesus’ many enigmatic statements began to make sense to them.

Dr Chan said: “This is epitomised in the story of Thomas who confessed when Jesus appeared to him: ‘My Lord and my God. Thomas’s confession is not merely a creedal confession but an act of worship.

“It is in the context of the worshipful encounter with the risen Christ that the disciples’ understanding of Jesus was radically transformed: The risen Christ is the very embodiment of the Kingdom of God, the one in whom God will carry out His mission to save the world.”

Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of Thomas marks the moment in John 20:28 when the risen Christ appears to the apostle Thomas, who exclaims in realisation: “My Lord and my God!”

The declarations believers make during Liturgy hold spiritual significance. “To confess ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ (cf 1 Corinthians 12: 3) is to confess a deep mystery: The Christ (Messiah) who died (unthinkable for the Jews) is raised from the dead and exalted to God’s right hand,” Dr Chan stated.

“The church incorporates this mystery in its eucharistic prayer when it affirms the ‘mystery of faith’: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” This confession sums up the main content of the liturgical celebration.”

2 ways the Liturgy presents the eschatological Kingdom 

“The Liturgy enacts the eschatological Kingdom which is neither purely future nor purely present; it sets forth salvation-history in which realities of the future are already experienced in the present, while the present anticipates the fullness that is not yet realised,” he said.

It does so in two ways: First, in the way the Liturgy is structured, and second, in the specific components of the Liturgy.

1a. Liturgical structure: The juxtaposition of the Old and the New

Dr Chan explained that Christian worship uses old Jewish sources and patterns and reinterprets them in the light of the life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

By doing so, the Church maintains continuity with the Old Testament while surpassing it by signalling its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. 

We are constantly reminded in Christian worship that the new has come, but it doesn’t completely depart from the old; that there is continuity between this age and the age to come.

Dr Chan pointed out: “The juxtaposition of the old and the new is also seen in the way Sunday worship has been traditionally understood. Sunday is the First Day of the week, the first day of the old creation when light was created (Genesis 1). But it is also the day of Christ’s resurrection: The day of the dawning of new light of the new creation. Thus, it is also called the Eighth Day; that is to say, the day that lies outside of the seven-day cycle.

Dr Chan proposes that Pentecostals, in particular, practising liturgy so as to develop a healthy eschatology – one that is neither under- nor over-realised. Photo courtesy of City Harvest Church.

“This going-beyond-the-present-age is made possible by the resurrection. Christians, by their very act of gathering on Sunday, are proclaiming that the old world is not abandoned but transfigured into the new world of the age to come. The Liturgy juxtaposes many such paradoxes.”

1b. Liturgical structure: The Liturgical Calendar

The yearly cycle of the liturgical calendar makes for the telling and retelling of the full Gospel story, from the incarnation to the return of Christ. By this, we are reminded that the Gospel is an unfinished story, said Dr Chan.

He explained how the way the calendar is arranged reflects and brings consciousness to the “Already-Not Yet” we live in.

“The calendar begins with Advent, but Advent is not only preparation for Christmas (Jesus’ First Coming) but also his Second Coming as seen in the many eschatological texts read during the Advent season. Further, while Advent focuses on the first (and second) coming of Christ, the last Sunday of the calendar celebrates the Feast of Christ the King which focuses on the final triumph of the Kingdom. The liturgical calendar portrays Christ as both the King now as well as the coming King.

“The Gospel story is told through an arrangement of daily and weekly readings from Scripture known as the Lectionary. There are usually four sets of Scripture texts read or sung each Sunday: The First Reading (Old Testament), Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading (the Epistles) and Gospel.

“The arrangement of the readings reflects the particular season of the church year. For example, Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of Christ. It is a time of joyful and penitential preparation. In the third Sunday of Advent of Year C (15 December 2024), known as Gaudete Sunday (meaning “rejoice”), the first reading (Zephaniah 3:14-18a), psalm (Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6)  and second reading (Philippines. 4:4-7) are on the theme of joy but the Gospel reading (Luke 3:10-18) focuses on the theme of divine judgment and the need for repentance.

Michelangelo’s Final Judgement that adorns the Sistine Chapel portrays the return of Jesus Christ.

“Although joy is the theme of the Third Sunday of Advent, the spirit of penitence is not forgotten. It is an important reminder that glory and sorrow, crown and Cross, are intimately related and should never be separated.”

2. Liturgy as spiritual formation

What happens when we practice the liturgy regularly with its pervasive portrayal of the eschatological Kingdom, asked Dr Chan, explaining that believers need to understand how the liturgy forms them.

“The Liturgy is a practice involving word and deed, ritual actions and explanations. It engages our cognitive and imaginative faculties. According to liturgical theologians, in practicing the Liturgy, we are practicing a primary theology (theologia prima),” he explained.

“We are not merely reflecting on the truth (at least not consciously for the most part) but subliminally assimilating the truth. As we practice it, we are being shaped by it; the truth is scripted into our very being.

“A poor or incomplete form of worship can only result in malformation, but a wholesome liturgy leads to holistic spiritual formation.”

In the Liturgy believers are indwelling the Gospel of Jesus Christ, week after week, through Word and sacrament, Dr Chan said, adding that this way, the truth of the Gospel story will shape our lives, values and worldview.

He stated: “But for indwelling to be effective, we need to take an important factor into consideration. We need to be familiar with the liturgy.  In a similar way, to participate well in the Liturgy, we need to be thoroughly familiar with it.”

The ancient Church made its members go through a rigorous process of training call the catechumenate; as they learned and memorised the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments, the Gospel story is embedded in their hearts and minds.

Many modern believers may resist, asking: “Doesn’t the repetition of the Liturgy make it formal and ritualistic?”

Dr Chan responded with two points: One, the Liturgy becomes ritualistic when a believer lacks understanding. Two, repetition in itself is not the problem, but mindless repetition is. 

“We need to be attentive or participate actively in the Liturgy,” he stated. “Understanding and active participation usually go together. When we understand why we do what we do, we are better able to participate meaningfully.”

He reiterated that “historically, the Church’s answer to maintaining the eschatological tension between the ‘Already’ and ‘Not Yet’ is by indwelling the Gospel embodied in the Liturgy. What the church still needs today is no different.”

Speaking to the Pentecostal gathering, he concluded: “I believe the modern Pentecostal Church can and ought to be both Pentecostal and liturgical. If we do the Liturgy well, we will, over time, develop a holistic Pentecostal spirituality.”

ABOUT DR SIMON CHAN

Dr Simon Chan is the former Earnest Lau professor of systematic theology at Trinity Theological College. He holds a PhD in historical theology from the University of Cambridge, an MDiv from Asian Theological Seminary and MTh from Southeast Asia Graduate School of Theology.

Dr Chan has made significant contributions to the fields of liturgy, spirituality, and theology, and currently, he focuses on research and writing, exploring the intersection of these disciplines. He is the chief editor of the Asia Journal of Theology, a publication of the Association for Theological Education in Southeast Asia.

Dr Simon has published numerous books and journal articles and is widely recognised for his deep understanding of Christian liturgical traditions and their practical implications for spiritual formation. He is also an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God.

ABOUT GLOBAL PENTECOSTAL VOICES

The Global Pentecostal Voices (GPVoices) initiative is an ongoing effort to synergise Pentecostal theological reflection from the Global South and undergird Asian Pentecostalism in particular. Through its partnership with City Harvest Church, Singapore, GPV hopes to reestablish local churches as the centres of theological reflection in the Pentecostal tradition.

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