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What style of worship will insure church growth?

January 2001

December 2000

November 2000

October 2000



 

By Tom Gray
There seems to be a lot of shuffling about these days as churches spend tremendous amounts of time re-ordering and rethinking worship services. The Charismatics are moving to highly liturgical services, and the "high" churches are incorporating contemporary praise music and PowerPoint presentations, complete with disappearing screens. Many churches are seeking after the latest concept that some church growth "guru" says will guarantee "success". The preponderance of books, articles, and web sites related to this matter is staggering! Mind you, I am not opposed to contemporary praise music, PowerPoint presentations, video projectors, and stuff like that; neither am I opposed to pipe organ preludes, robed choirs, candle light and incense. What I am opposed to is when churches adopt methodology utilized by their neighbor churches with the rationale, "hey, it works for them!" So then, what is the sure fire answer?

I think this question can most easily be answered when we realize that our Sunday morning worship service is only a part of the worship that God requires of us. One hour a week spent in the same room with a bunch of other believers, many of whom we don't really know and can't even relate to, is not much more than a meeting, much less an opportunity for true worship. We need to look at our "worship" service as an integral part of our weekly schedule, but not the whole enchilada. When the "Church", (body of believers) spends the rest of the week being worshipful, the music style, order of worship, etc., becomes secondary to why we are gathered together in the first place.

So.....the possible answer then becomes a question, how do we worship God during the rest of the week? Do we take Jesus to work with us? Do we treat our family members as we wish to be treated? The big question is this; do we leave Jesus at church on Sunday morning, or is He our daily companion? Do we pray with our family members on a regular basis, or just when we need God's intervention? Do we awake and dedicate the day to God, or do we keep our worship lives and secular lives segregated? Do we look for divine appointments while we are at work and play? Think about it. Does God see a separation between our secular and religious existence?

Worship is whenever we are being faithful, whenever we are involved in God sized tasks, whenever we are seeking His face. When we allow something to dictate our choices other than God, we are being unfaithful; whether that something is anger, money, fame, or even doing good things. Anybody can do something good. Even the most hardened individuals are capable at some time or other of doing something good. Only those redeemed by the blood of Christ are capable of joining God in doing God sized things. Only those that know Him are capable of seeking His face. Only those that know Him can be faithful. We (the redeemed) worship God, either in excellence or poorly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I attend a small, rural church that utilizes contemporary praise music sung along with a recorded cassette in it's Sunday morning worship services. I love it, it affects me, I am very often moved. This has an impact on me that very often goes with me all week long as I attempt to go from being a member of the "gathered church" into a member of the "scattered church" (Eddie Hammett's concept, not mine). I was recently invited to spend a day at Duke Divinity School, sitting in on a Christian ethics lecture, and attending chapel with the divinity students. The neo-Gothic architecture, organ, candles, and style of commemorating the Lord's Supper were in some ways a throw back to days gone by. I loved it, it affected me, I was moved. It assisted me in going from the "gathered church" and becoming part of the "scattered church". God can move whenever and wherever He is invited, regardless of the style of worship.

In the event I failed to answer your question; when an unchurched world sees us worshipping God, they too will be drawn closer to Him. They shouldn't have to come to church to see it. When we worship God 24/7, He is glorified, He will build the church. Now go, worship God.

Tom Gray is a potter, and a friend and reader of Next-Wave....http://www.atomic.net/~tgraypots/index.htm 
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