Worship in the Emerging Church: What Resonates with Post-Christians Dan Kimball, Sally Morganthaler CCN seminar – May, 2005

Definition of Worship “ To bow down,” prostrate Submission to Lordship of Jesus Christ Encounter

“ To bow down,” prostrate

Submission to Lordship of Jesus Christ

Encounter

The Cosmic Work of God Early Christian response to the presence and work of God: Psalms, hymns, songs Prayers Communion Proclaiming the story However we package worship, these are the crucial elements

Early Christian response to the presence and work of God:

Psalms, hymns, songs

Prayers

Communion

Proclaiming the story

However we package worship, these are the crucial elements

Changes in Culture, Changes in Worship Culture: “VABEs” From Judeo-Christian to post-Christian Post-European Generational issues: music, language, dress, worldview

Culture: “VABEs”

From Judeo-Christian to post-Christian

Post-European

Generational issues: music, language, dress, worldview

Worldview Gap: From Modern to Postmodern Modern values Excellence (tightly run worship experience) Cognitive and conceptual learning through one-way preaching Sometimes, the removal of ancient or spiritual Going to church Postmodern values Avoiding any sense of performance (relationship and chemistry trump excellence) Experiential learning through interactive teaching encounter trumps information Palette of senses Sometimes, the desire of roots, history, and supernatural Being the church

Modern values

Excellence (tightly run worship experience)

Cognitive and conceptual learning through one-way preaching

Sometimes, the removal of ancient or spiritual

Going to church

Postmodern values

Avoiding any sense of performance (relationship and chemistry trump excellence)

Experiential learning through interactive teaching

encounter trumps information

Palette of senses

Sometimes, the desire of roots, history, and supernatural

Being the church

Teens and 20s in Church? Barna: 4% of GenX in leadership in any church Emerging generations have the lowest rate of church connection of any generation Emerging generations suffer from being “hyper-spiritual” rather than being too secular

Barna: 4% of GenX in leadership in any church

Emerging generations have the lowest rate of church connection of any generation

Emerging generations suffer from being “hyper-spiritual” rather than being too secular

Remix Ancient-future Multi-cultural Narrative Instead of abstract or bullet points Collaborative From print to broadcast to interactive digital

Ancient-future

Multi-cultural

Narrative

Instead of abstract or bullet points

Collaborative

From print to broadcast to interactive digital

What does it look like? From primarily cognitive “graphs” Order of worship Preaching and singing to palettes of visual and tactile experiences

From primarily cognitive “graphs”

Order of worship

Preaching and singing

to palettes of visual and tactile experiences

From Program to Gathering Not a performance but hosting a gathering of people to experience God Hospitality issues of atmosphere

Not a performance but hosting a gathering of people to experience God

Hospitality issues of atmosphere

The Palette Brushes Prayer Involves the community of faith as co-creators of the worship they will experience Scripture We are not elevating simply the human experience, but the story of God that catches up our human experience

Prayer

Involves the community of faith as co-creators of the worship they will experience

Scripture

We are not elevating simply the human experience, but the story of God that catches up our human experience

Priesthood of All Believers Richly textured worship among co-creators Beyond McDonalds to gift-based, passion-driven expression of the community of faith

Richly textured worship among co-creators

Beyond McDonalds to gift-based, passion-driven expression of the community of faith

Preaching in the Emerging Church Preaching: “heralding” or “proclaiming” Not ourselves, but The Story From: male, up-front, wordy, bullet-points To: oral/aural, visual, tactile, interactive, kinesthetic

Preaching: “heralding” or “proclaiming”

Not ourselves, but The Story

From: male, up-front, wordy, bullet-points

To: oral/aural, visual, tactile, interactive, kinesthetic

How we learn and retain 10%: what we hear 15%: what we see 20%: what we hear and see 60%: what we do 80%: what we do with reflection 90%: what we teach

10%: what we hear

15%: what we see

20%: what we hear and see

60%: what we do

80%: what we do with reflection

90%: what we teach

In every classroom there are: 2 auditory learners 4 visual learners 4 tactile-kinesthetic learners Chinese proverb: “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”

2 auditory learners

4 visual learners

4 tactile-kinesthetic learners

Chinese proverb: “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”

The point of teaching … Is learning Not just a matter of the preacher saying, “I did my job, hope they get it!” We teach in different ways so that people will be more likely to learn and be transformed

Is learning

Not just a matter of the preacher saying, “I did my job, hope they get it!”

We teach in different ways so that people will be more likely to learn and be transformed

Creating a culture of dialogue Via small groups Reflection opportunities Post-preaching dialogues Beyond answer-spew and into engagement Early churches met in houses – they had opportunities for dialogue From news-anchor to the blog From “preacher has all the answers” to push-back on the blog

Via small groups

Reflection opportunities

Post-preaching dialogues

Beyond answer-spew and into engagement

Early churches met in houses – they had opportunities for dialogue

From news-anchor to the blog

From “preacher has all the answers” to push-back on the blog

Sacred Space and Environment Worship spaces in the Bible: Garden of Eden Jacob’s pillar (Gen.28:18) Tabernacle Temple Synagogue House churches

Worship spaces in the Bible:

Garden of Eden

Jacob’s pillar (Gen.28:18)

Tabernacle

Temple

Synagogue

House churches

Sacred Space and Environment Worship spaces post-Bible: Basilica (co-opted government town hall space) Cathedral (pulpit replaces altar as center; no chairs till 1400s) Lecture hall (after printing press) Tent and auditorium space Revivalism reflected in architecture tilting toward theatre Non-religious theatre

Worship spaces post-Bible:

Basilica (co-opted government town hall space)

Cathedral (pulpit replaces altar as center; no chairs till 1400s)

Lecture hall (after printing press)

Tent and auditorium space

Revivalism reflected in architecture tilting toward theatre

Non-religious theatre

Sacred Space Reflects Values If there is a desire for a sense of the transcendent, then how would the worship space look and feel? What value does your space communicate? How does our space help us connect to God and each other? If you value “response,” is there room for people to move?

If there is a desire for a sense of the transcendent, then how would the worship space look and feel?

What value does your space communicate?

How does our space help us connect to God and each other?

If you value “response,” is there room for people to move?

Music in the Emerging Church Recent excesses of musical worship emphasis: Turning the leader into a star Equating music with worship Imbalance of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs Imbalance of celebration and lament Music not often enough the “servant art,” too often the “lead art”

Recent excesses of musical worship emphasis:

Turning the leader into a star

Equating music with worship

Imbalance of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs

Imbalance of celebration and lament

Music not often enough the “servant art,” too often the “lead art”

Music in the Emerging Church Spontaneous worship Pay attention to lyrics and theology of songs Introducing ancient songs and hymns

Spontaneous worship

Pay attention to lyrics and theology of songs

Introducing ancient songs and hymns

Prayer Stations and Interactive Response Not just teaching the importance of prayer but providing actual time, space, and permission to do it Creating non-chaotic prayer stations which enhance teaching and offer places of spontaneous response Making sure you have times and places in worship that give people opportunity to move and respond Offering places of conversation in worship Lord’s Supper? Offertory? Prayer time?

Not just teaching the importance of prayer but providing actual time, space, and permission to do it

Creating non-chaotic prayer stations which enhance teaching and offer places of spontaneous response

Making sure you have times and places in worship that give people opportunity to move and respond

Offering places of conversation in worship

Lord’s Supper? Offertory? Prayer time?

Art in the Emerging Church Use of artists within the community Indigenous expression Artists, poets, photographers, web designers, hobbyists “ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to make artistic designs …” Exodus 31:1-4

Use of artists within the community

Indigenous expression

Artists, poets, photographers, web designers, hobbyists

“ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to make artistic designs …”

Exodus 31:1-4

Film in Emerging Worship Have clip be a catalyst for response Use film to set a “vibe” Use during message, times of meditation Sometimes more difficult to produce indigenously and thus easier to buy

Have clip be a catalyst for response

Use film to set a “vibe”

Use during message, times of meditation

Sometimes more difficult to produce indigenously and thus easier to buy

Some Final “Don’ts” … Don’t begin experimenting, make sure you teach the “why” and theology behind it. Don’t necessarily begin with sweeping changes, but incremental, subtle changes. Don’t just copy another church; make your worship an expression of the gifts and passions of the people God has brought here. Don’t create “worship consumers” by focusing too much on the performance of worship.

Don’t begin experimenting, make sure you teach the “why” and theology behind it.

Don’t necessarily begin with sweeping changes, but incremental, subtle changes.

Don’t just copy another church; make your worship an expression of the gifts and passions of the people God has brought here.

Don’t create “worship consumers” by focusing too much on the performance of worship.

Some Final “Do’s” … Do start without waiting for huge budget and technology helps. Do keep Jesus in the center of planning creative worship gatherings. Do be mindful of how much money and time we spend on creative worship vs. what we are doing with the poor and needy and in fulfilling God’s call for us in the world.

Do start without waiting for huge budget and technology helps.

Do keep Jesus in the center of planning creative worship gatherings.

Do be mindful of how much money and time we spend on creative worship vs. what we are doing with the poor and needy and in fulfilling God’s call for us in the world.

Resources www.vintagefaith.com www.sacramentis.com www.ccn.tv – worship seminars on DVD www.midnightoil.com www.churchmedia.net www.sermonspice.com www.highwayvideo.com www.barnafilms.com www.angelhouse.com

www.vintagefaith.com

www.sacramentis.com

www.ccn.tv – worship seminars on DVD

www.midnightoil.com

www.churchmedia.net

www.sermonspice.com

www.highwayvideo.com

www.barnafilms.com

www.angelhouse.com

Worship in the Emerging Church What Resonates with Post-Christians Dr. John P. Chandler Courageous Churches Virginia Baptist Mission Board [email_address] Copy right John P. Chandler, 2005