God is always present in our worship - just try and keep Him away! But often we don't perceive his presence. If worship has become routine or we are distracted by something - be it a fellow worshipper, the music, or lunch, then we can miss what God is doing. God moves powerfully and visibly when His people are expectant and patient.
It's not about the style of the service or even the quality. God doesn't move because we somehow get it right or make the grade. Theology 101 tells us that we can't ever do that.
However, we worship in faith that in Christ our worship is acceptable; and when we are hungry for the presence of God, and gather with the intention of having inspiring worship, when we expect the Holy Spirit to be active, when we recognise that we encounter God in worship, then we will be changed.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
What to do?
Chris is studying a post grad paper on church and change, and the last essay questions asks what to do in a congregation that is mostly over 50, but says that they want to change?
Across the whole parish, this is the youngest age profile, but there are still significant numbers of faithful older members, who like hymns and straightforward teaching.
There is more to contemporary worship than singing.
We had a couple who worship at another church over for lunch, and they admitted they quite like the way we packed 4 songs, a prayer of confession, prayers for others, prayer of adoration and a 20 minute sermon into an hour, compared with their regular diet which took longer and had less.
We are also experimenting with different ways of reflecting after the sermon, sometimes in silence, sometimes with a CD and powerpoint.
The changes we make are incremental ones, rather than large dramatic ones,but the challenge of leading worship for a congregation who need to change but don't want to is an ongoing tension.
Across the whole parish, this is the youngest age profile, but there are still significant numbers of faithful older members, who like hymns and straightforward teaching.
There is more to contemporary worship than singing.
We had a couple who worship at another church over for lunch, and they admitted they quite like the way we packed 4 songs, a prayer of confession, prayers for others, prayer of adoration and a 20 minute sermon into an hour, compared with their regular diet which took longer and had less.
We are also experimenting with different ways of reflecting after the sermon, sometimes in silence, sometimes with a CD and powerpoint.
The changes we make are incremental ones, rather than large dramatic ones,but the challenge of leading worship for a congregation who need to change but don't want to is an ongoing tension.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
