Challenges Facing Worship Renewalists

(Faith : Worship)
Worship and culture, Theology of Worship, Modern Worship,

The renewal of worship in the local church faces major challenges. If one is to facilitate effectively such renewal, he or she should be familiar with the problems that must be isolated and resolved.

For many church leaders, the renewal of worship is simply not a priority. Many churches seem content to pursue “business as usual,” and pastors often yield to the tendency to elevate the sermon above corporate worship.

You and I may disagree on some aspects of Christian doctrine, but I am sure there is one thing on which we definitely agree: You and I personally, and the church collectively, are desperately in need of transformation.

2 Contempt for praise of God. (Daniel W. Hardy and David F. Ford)

The pluralism that characterizes modern Western culture threatens the activity of praising God. Those who engage in praise are made to feel as of they are out of date and out of touch with reality. However, a life of praise is the best counterattack to the pressures of a pluralistic society. Praise of God is continually threatened at all points. There are head-on attacks which try to eliminate it physically or to shame it into silence.

Because church leaders have, for the most part, lost the understanding of biblical and historic worship, they have created and imposed upon their congregations a variety of worship substitute.

a) First, the emphasis on the mind, learning, and education to the neglect of the senses and the inner spirit has resulted in a worship mentality that views the sermon as the be-all and end-all of worship.

b) Second, substitute for worship is evangelism. It turned the church into an evangelistic tent.

c) Third, replacement for worship occurs when the overriding concerns are entertainment and numbers. TV has given this approach its powerful support.

d) Last, but equally important, is the self-help approach to Sunday morning. It is the “me generation” dressed up in church clothes. And “do” is an appropriate word. Worship is not something that someone does for us or to us. Rather, it is done by us. It is a verb, not a noun. It requires action. It is not passive—it is not merely watching or observing.

In many liturgical congregations, the church is viewed as an organization that exists for the liturgy. This author, writing form the perspective of the Orthodox tradition, offers a reminder that worship does not exist for its own sake, but as an expression of the reality of the church in relation to the world. His insights are useful to Christians of other traditions. Christian worship, by its nature, structure, and content, is the revelation and realization by the church of her own real nature. It is not the church which exists for the liturgy, but the liturgy for the church.

5 Corruption of Worship by Manipulation and Utilitarianism (Paul Waitman Hoon)

Worship is sometimes used as a tool for the manipulation of human experience. The true function of worship is not to lead people through a sequence of emotional states, to effect their behavioral change, or to promote promote programs or special emphases of the church or denomination. Rather, the purpose of worship is to glorify God in the world.

Nevertheless, worship is first to be conceived as encounter with God; its reference is secondarily to man.

6 McEucharist: The Allure of “fast-food” Worship. (Tom Schwanda)

In their concern to reach as many people as possible with the gospel of Christ, church leaders often try to make the worship service as attractive as possible for the unchurched. When worship planning is “consumer-driven”, however, serious abuses of true worship may result. The author of this entry raises some thoughtful questions about the “fast-food” approach to worship.

7 Corruption of Worship by Aestheticism. (Paul Waitman Hoon)

Because worship reveals both the terrifying power of God and his awesome mystery, it cannot always be aesthetically pleasing. Worship is a rehearsal of God’s saving acts in history. Art and beauty may serve it, but must never dominate.

If worship is to impact the entire person, its forms and language must transcend words, engaging not only the worshiper’s body but also his or her emotions and imagination. These forms should be appropriate to the majesty of God, not so familiar as be mundane nor so unfamiliar as to be irrelevant to the worshiper.

9 Areas of challenge in free-church worship. (Terry Howard Wardle)

Worship renewalists of the free-church tradition face the difficult task of changing their congregations’ understanding of worship in a number of key areas. Unhealthy practices present a challenge for those who would restore a more biblical and historic perspective to the worship of these churches.

Sermon-centeredness. The sermon has become the most important part of the worship service.

Pastor Domination. Pastors do too much in the worship service.

Spectator Mentality. Attending a worship service is similar to attending the theater or a concert – it is a spectator event. Those in the pews sit and watch as the person up front performs. They evaluate the service based on what they receive rather than on what they put into the experience.

Predictability. Worship services have become overly predictable, Consistency enables worshipers to feel comfortable in the service. The are familiar with what is happening anxiety is eliminated.

Traditionalism. Form and order in worship are often dictated purely by tradition. Our worship services should certainly be sensitive to tradition but not completely determined by tradition. Forms of worship should not be institutionalized.

Irrelevance. What happens in worship is not always relevant to daily living.

Lack of Encounter with God. People often do not encounter God in worship. Sunday after Sunday, people leave church without sensing the presence of God in worship. Why do people not encounter God in worship?

Renewal needs in liturgical churches include increased attention to planning and integrating all parts of the worship service, an understanding of the importance of music ministry, and greater participation by the congregation.

More effective preaching.

Greater integration of Word and Music.

Enlargement of Sacramental experience.

11 The Need for Redefining Worship in Charismatic churches. (Jack Hayford)

The charismatic movement has brought about a change in the worship in many traditional churches. Charismatic, in turn, are being influenced by traditional liturgical forms. Together, Christians of charismatic and liturgical traditions are discovering that biblical worship provides an answer to the epidemic of emptiness that plagues our generation.

People of Western culture have largely lost their ability to celebrate. Festivity and celebration link people to their heritage and place in the cosmos while supplying meaning and validity to life.