"Cutting-Edge" Worship

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A friend who is a pastor in a Southern Baptist church shared this video with me. It's a bit of tongue-in-cheek self-ridicule produced by the video arts team at North Point church in Atlanta. That's Andy Stanley's church. They are satirizing the radical, cutting-edge worship that so many churches (including theirs) like to use. The question is, "If everyone is really doing it, is it actually so cutting edge?"



On a related note, I was recently reminded of Will Willimon's words to a gathering of CofC youth ministers. Invited to speak to their annual gathering in Colorado, Willimon told these youth ministers not to leave the Churches of Christ. He said that we have something worth preserving, that we practice a form of Christianity crucial in the days ahead. He bemoans churches who just want to be like everyone else. Willimon and many others suggest that diversity will be a crucial tool as we seek to reach a post-Christian world.

Comments

mrdildine said…
Jason -- I am curious. What form of Christianity did he say that the CoC's practiced which is worth preserving? Aside from the style of our worship services, what do we do that is different that is worth preserving? What are our distinguishing characteristics which set us apart?
June 14, 2010 at 8:57 AM
Connie said…
I am not saying I agree or disagree with the "new style" of worship. However my question is...if these churches are wrong, then why does God provide miracles only He can do for them or through them? While "traditional" churches just keep God in a box. I have witnessed that some of the "new style" churches seek Him for what He wants to happen while "traditional" churches do what they want to do and hope God is in it. As I was pondering all this earlier, Matt 22:1-14 came to my mind about how those invited to the banquet were too busy so those on the street corners were invited instead. I see this as a parallel to today's churches and how the two are bringing in different types of people. And honestly being raised in the C of C, I never saw seeking God for what He wanted and going with it. You did what you wanted and prayed He would bless it. So maybe He is tired of being in a box and glad to have people who don't think that way but think He can do anything. I am not saying everyone or church style has to be the same because everyone is different. But maybe the difference is to wake people up from their comfort zones.
June 20, 2010 at 9:50 PM
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