Worship In Transition

Jack R. Reese

Condensed and adapted from IMAGE Magazine, 11-12/93. Reprinted by permission.

Over the past several years, for a number of reasons, worship styles and emphases have become increasingly diverse. I will characterize four avenues of worship expression that account for at least a part of the variety among our congregations.

In the Middle of the Road

Of course, most people see themselves in the middle of the road. But that self-identity is crucial to this group. They are repulsed by what they see as strident dogmatism in the right wing and by impatient activism in the left wing. They want Sunday assemblies that do not challenge their comfort zone every week and that recognize and honor the teachings and worship styles of the past. They are not opposed to change but do not want it "crammed down their throats." . . .

At the Frontier

Many of these have lost patience with what they see as lifeless worship services, which may have worked forty years ago but are less than adequate today. They often articulate two concerns. One is to provide an environment where the outsiders are not left out in the cold by insider language, archaic music, and sermonic harangues. They desire to use worship styles (especially music) that connect with contemporary culture, and they bristle at the accusation that such an approach is unbiblical.

Second, they want to provide a worship environment where people do not simply understand something but also experience something, where overt demonstrations of adoration to God and affection for fellow Christians are acceptable and even encouraged.

Assemblies usually center on praise. Worship teams are often used to help teach and encourage participation. Overhead transparencies typically replace song books. The emphasis is on contemporaneity and relevance.

Those "at the frontier" feel a sense of urgency in their desire to make changes in public worship, both for the sake of effective evangelism and for meaningful worship experiences. They are convinced that a church that is truly biblical will be concerned with these things.

On the Trail of Encounter

As one has suggested, "worship which caters to the self-interest of the unchurched person may have difficulty moving that person beyond his self-centeredness to hear the call to Christian service and sacrifice."

Like those "at the frontier," these people desire meaningful experience in worship and are open to a variety of worship styles. Specifically, they welcome the introduction of contemporary music. But they also desire a sense of continuity with the Christian traditions of the past. They do not want to sacrifice the theological profundity of many of the classic hymns.

They not only want opportunities for praise but also confession, lament, and repentance. They desire not only celebration but silence and surrender. They are often drawn to personal spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation, and fasting.

Mostly, they see worship (both inside and outside the assembly) as an encounter with God. By this they mean that God does something in worship, that He acts on the hearts of the worshippers. To them, worship is not just doing the right acts in the right ways. . . . Rather, they feel, it is an opportunity to encounter God in a dynamic way and be changed by Him.

Their interest is not in decreasing the demands of worship for the sake of outsiders but increasing the demands of worship for the sake of the believers, not in eliminating discomfort for the worshippers but creating opportunities for the transformation of the community, not in merely doing worship rightly but being made right by a God whom they feel is vitally present in the assembly.

On the Old Paths

The primary impulse of this group is to ground all actions under a specific view of biblical authority. And what is not specifically authorized in the New Testament is presumed to be forbidden. This includes not only musical instruments, but singing groups, worship teams, dramatic presentations, congregational readings, hand-clapping, and singing during the Lord's Supper.

Worship to God will be done in truth (the right acts), in spirit (the right attitude), and in the right manner (following biblical commands, examples, and inferences). Anything else is presumed to be human doctrine, influenced by secular society, and false; therefore, it must be condemned.

Editorial note: If by the above parenthetical thoughts the writer meant merely to define the terms "truth," "spirit," and "right manner" as the group which is under consideration would define them, then we agree. "Truth" and "spirit" in John 4, though, have very little, if anything, to do with "correctness" of actions or attitude, and "the right manner" has more to do with attitude of heart than with commands. -bc