Never in history have Christians needed headphones more than now. We've become so melded to the world's mentalities that it's difficult to tell where Christianity begins and secularity ends. God's song is so faint that whatever happens to be on the radio drowns it out. And all the while our true love, our first love, is forgotten.
Worse, with some buttered popcorn and a ticket, our modern church worship could pass for anything the entertainment industry has to offer--the lights, the sounds, the seamless transitions from performance to performance. These aren't inherently wrong, but they do reflect our desire to look, act, think, talk, and entertain as the world does. It takes a forensic expert to locate the microscopic traces of God in some of today's Christian music. But we don't just go to church to get our God-fix. We go to church to fix our eyes on God. And the whole world is watching our watching.
-Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything by Christian George, page 101.
Sometimes it's difficult to ask the question, "What is worship?" because in our culture (and even in the Church) we worship so many things at times besides God. As Christian notes in this excerpt from Godology, there is nothing inherently wrong with the modes of communication we use in worship (such as the "lights, sounds, and seamless transitions"). We do, however, need to think critically and ask good questions such as what place does this have in our worship? and Does our mode of worship say something about our view of God? I believe this last question is especially important. Worship style is more than taste in music. In fact, if we make decisions about what our worship should look like based on taste, we are already off the map. Take a few Sundays and visit a variety of churches that have diverse styles of worship, and you'll find that they reflect what each congregation believes about God. I have spent most of my time in vocational youth ministry in a liturgical setting, but a few months ago I began serving at a church that does not utilize many of the traditional aspects of worship I am used to. This in itself is neither good nor bad. I do miss the rich traditional worship at times, but I also love the centrality of God's Word in the worship service at my church.
The important question I take away from Christian George's passage is When we form our plans for a worship service, do we take our cues more from the entertainment industry or more from the nature of God, whom we worship? The answer will say a lot about our view of God and why we worship. It's a good question to ask, not only in terms of worship, but in terms of my ministry to youth as well.
