God-centered worshipers yearn for authenticity in their leaders’ expressions of adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and calls to submission in our gatherings for worship. When our hearts are broken, our faith shaken, our spirit despairing we need a word from God and the touch of His Spirit.
Over the years, advocates of the “McChurch franchise” have come up with various “secrets” to assure the attraction of significant numbers of visitors and growing facilities and budgets. They often filibuster for furloughing the orchestra and firing the choir. They take a “cookie-cutter” approach to achieve “what works.” Import the right talent, they advise, and hang on for the ride. Authentic versus pragmatic. Where’s the truth in all this?
Mark Hayes’ 2002 address to a worship congress(1) in Washington D.C. gives the following marvelous response to such thinking:
“Frank Burch Brown in his book, “Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste(2) ,” has some assumptions that may guide our discussion of this matter. Let me quote just a few.
1. There are many kinds of good taste, and many kinds of good religious art and music. In view of cultural diversity, it would be extremely odd if that were not true.
2. Not all kinds of good art and music are equally good for worship, let alone for every tradition and faith community. In terms of worship, therefore, it is not enough that a work or style of art be likeable; it must also be appropriate.
3. Every era and cultural context tends to develop new forms of sacred music and art, which to begin with often seem secular to many people.
4. It is an act of Christian love to learn to appreciate or at least respect what others value in a particular style or work that they cherish in worship or in the rest of life. That is different, however, from personally liking every form of commendable art, which is impossible and unnecessary.
I believe our job as worship planners and leaders is to create and hold a sacred container in which the Spirit can work and move. “Container” may seem like an odd choice of words, but it’s merely a metaphor for the word “environment.” All the elements of worship, from the size and design of the sanctuary, to the liturgical vestments or lack thereof, to the type and quality of music and every word that is prayed or spoken contributes to the worship environment. As creative people we want to make this invisible container a safe, nurturing and glorious place to meet God and experience the presence of [his] Spirit. We can’t make God “show up” on Sunday any more than we can make people worship or respond to the Divine. Our only role is to hold or maintain that sacred space through the use of our gifts so God can do what God will do.”
I agree with Hayes and Brown one hundred percent. It’s not Rock vs. Bach but Rock and Bach (item #4). Let’s commit to respecting and appreciating each generation’s worship vocabulary and not turn against one another as the “enemy.”
Notes:
1. Accessed from www.markhayes.com
2. Frank Burch Brown, Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste: Aesthetics in
Religious Life (New York, Oxford University Press, 2000) pp. 250-251.
"Let’s commit to respecting and appreciating each generation’s worship vocabulary and not turn against one another as the “enemy.”"
ReplyDeleteAmen!
Good stuff Peter and Chris! One of the hardest tasks for many of us in vocational Christian ministry is to remove the "analyst/evaluator" hat - and even the "worship leader" hat - and put on the "worshiper" hat. As well as to respect others if the forms that move them to a response of worship are different from the forms that move us similarly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for exploring this. Good stuff. Satan will use every tool at his disposal to turn us against one another, and this issue has been a great tool in his hands. I wish we could all just go to worship, seeking His face and allowing the Holy Spirit to move in us through the "container" that we are in. That's what I try to do...more successful some days than others....
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