Right or Wrong? Worship wars

The "worship wars" apparently have reached détente. But it seems worship in many respects reflects what it's always been—superficial. How can churches participate in meaningful, life-changing worship?

If churches have achieved peace from the worship wars because leaders are giving people what they want, and if worship is superficial, then we conclude superficial worship is what people want.

Too often, we settle for worship that touches the heart but not the mind, entertains instead of challenges, invites passivity without participation and goes on Sunday after Sunday with deadening repetitiveness. An indifferent approach to worship produces superficial worship, which spits out shallow discipleship.

What can we do to create worship that produces deeper meaning and changes lives?

We can evaluate the current worship life of a church. How often do we worship? Where? What do we do? Why do we do what we do? Is what we do out of conviction? Habit? Are our worship practices carrying biblical and theological rationale for what we do in worship?

A second step is to involve laity in planning and leading worship. When laity are included in development of worship practices and conducting worship, they become more attuned to what takes place in the services. For example, we give lip service to the Reformation principle that the Bible belongs to the people as well as the clergy, but too few churches invite laity to read Scripture in Sunday worship. When we use lay readers regularly, the congregation hears the Bible in the unique voices of the people and pays greater attention to the lessons.

Third, worship is not a spiritual practice in which one style fits everyone, any more than every Christian prays with eyes closed and hands folded while kneeling. Churches that want to infuse fresh energy in their worship life may offer multiple forms, styles and times for worship. Worship, for example, that attempts to fold multiple styles of worship into one "blended" service is more likely to disappoint everyone than to satisfy and enrich every worshipper. A better approach is to create different styles or worship at different times during the week or on an occasional basis. This allows worshippers to explore different ways to praise God and encounter the Holy.

Finally, meaningful worship that brings us in touch with the Divine in life-changing ways does not happen for every person each time the doors of the church open. It is not your pastor's responsibility alone to produce it. When laity arrive for worship dead-dog tired from a late-night party, fired up by watching a politician on a Sunday morning talk show, preoccupied by lunch plans or itching to get to a 12:45 tee time, worship will be superficial.

Worship is like most things—you get out of it what you put into it.

Mike Clingenpeel, pastor

River Road Church, Baptist

Richmond, Va.

Right or Wrong? is co-sponsored by the Texas Baptist theological education office and Christian Life Commission. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to bill.tillman@texasbaptists.org.