[AllInTheNameOfProgress]

Nearly every Sunday I am helping to provide a worship experience in my church by singing contemporary christian rock music and sometimes playing keyboard. Sometimes I try to relate personal experiences or scriptural connections between songs. Sometimes I feel church is too much about the production of worship experiences. I am constantly thinking about ways to bring others into the community, so they can have the source of strength that I have found, but I feel that a worship service is not the best thing to invite them to. If they don't know Jesus very well, why would they feel like worshipping him?

We may be better off scrapping this contemporary worship service and instead holding a faith community gathering time, more like a sunday school or support group, where a controversial topic is introduced, and we can discuss in small groups and check in with each other on issues and ideas. In another forum, I was mentioning that I have a small group of friends who act as a sounding board for me on faith matters. I think many people could use that, but many people are only giving an hour of their time a week at church, so if we had to prioritize, it seems the time for discussion and a deeper look may be more important that singing songs and worshipping. Although, the music is meaningful and speaks to my spirit....

This group could also serve others together (community outreach). I guess it's sounding like an adult youth group... "Not so Young Life" maybe?

Other thoughts on this? Does anyone else do this kind of thing in their church.

[October's Autumn]

I do not "worship" God in church. I do not think God is worshipped by people singing, dancing, praying, listening to sermons etc. Church is where I go for community. I'm able to be with people with whom I share similar beliefs and when our beliefs are dissimilar we all still have a voice.

What is worship? Worship is loving your neighbor, loving your enemy, taking care of the sick, giving to the poor, etc. That is what we do that worships God.

[JosephM]

October, on Jan 14 2009, 12:14 AM, said:

(snip)
What is worship? Worship is loving your neighbor, loving your enemy, taking care of the sick, giving to the poor, etc. That is what we do that worships God.

Yes.

Love Joseph

[Russ]

Worship of the One is certainly cross cultural and muti-denominational with a wide variety of styles. Services can involve music, singing, incense burning, chanting, kneeling, standing, silent prayer, communal vocal prayer, and on and on. In my Quaker tradition, we worship in silence while sitting together in our meeting house. If a Friend feels so moved to speak and share, they do and sit back down again returning to the silence. I feel this type of worship is more personal and allows me to reach inward and outward toward God. It also brings members together as People of God for the purpose of sharing time together.

[rivanna]

I like Quaker meetings, went to a few with a friend years ago.

Janet,

It’s neat that you’re a musician.
In my area, a couple of the more liberal churches hold regular adult forums mid week,
either in the form of a discussion group or book club or progressive bible study.

I don’t see why there has to be a conflict between the active serving side, and the inner peace side – Jesus was both a healer and a mystic, he went back and forth in his life between mingling with the crowds, and withdrawing to the wilderness to pray for comfort and strength.