just re-read stephen said's critic on the 'contemporary charismatic worship service' - (what i attend every sunday morning.)
i have often wondered where the, "sing, offering, sing, communion, sing, sermon, sing" format comes from. i have never found it in the bible. (this does not make it wrong - i have never found white polar bears in the bible either.)
stephen, in a short history lesson, explained that the 'contemporary charismatic worship service' originated in the 60's. christian baby boomers were dissatisfied with structured liturgical worship. they sort to find a more genuine expression of their faith in christ.
in some ways this is where i find myself today. i love my church to bits but i am realising it cannot be the only forum through which i express my faith. i am also becoming increasingly aware that many of my non-christian friends and neighbours will simply not fit the version of christianty presented at the services i attend on sundays.
so then what else could church look like?
if it was up to me (which we can probably all thank the lord it's not!) i would ask god and maybe he would say...
give to the poor
be friendly
don't declare people leaders - let people provide services
don't advertise me
look around you (and back in history) and learn how people connect with me - do these things
hmmm...what do you think jesus would do if starting a church in the northern suburbs of perth 2005? what would you do? - charlie
stephen's article - http://www.neurotribe.net/blog/2002_03_24_ntribe_archive.html
3 comments:
I still carry the article around on my phone. I have discussed it with Steve on a few occassions. Some I disagree with. Most I love. His comments regarding worship all come from the Old Testament and its comments on worship, and a few from the NewT (as he points out, there are only a few to be found in NT) My passion for worship (I never see worship, charismatic style, as a way of reaching my unsaved friends, it's a tool for believers to meet with God) my passion and justification, comes not from OT or NT but rather from some apocalyptic, heaven centred type passages about worship in heaven etc.
its all right matt, i'm also photoless.
Guys it so awesome that we can meet in this cyber world and have these discussions aint it? I have just gotten home from another church service where i have wanted to interject and debate several of the sermon points..... :-)
no one has answered the question - charlie
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