Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Contemporary worship

One of my grandsons has played his guitar in the contemporary worship service at a local church.  His father used to play keyboard at the early service of a different church.  The picture here, which doesn't show my grandson, comes from an article Keeping it fresh by Mallory McCall:
"Today, contemporary worship is all about participation. Many Christians of all ages no longer find it satisfying to go to church and sit through a service; they want to be part of it. The informality of these modern services gives congregants the freedom to participate in worship in a more personal way."
He asks, "But what does it mean to be contemporary in worship?"  To many people, it's all about the music.  The article quotes C. Michael Hawn, professor of church music and director of the sacred music program at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas:
"The way we sing affects the way we think about God ... I think our worship, regardless of style, needs to have a lot more kinesthetic permission ... It will keep young people involved, plus it says this is more than a head-trip; this is a whole-body experience."
Kinesthetic, the sensation of movement, freedom to move around, to be involved.

Does your church have a contemporary service, a traditional service, or a mixture of both styles?  Which do you prefer?  Why?  What do you think it means to be contemporary in worship?

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