Friday, July 07, 2006
Recent History 7
Report from the “Recent History of Christian Worship” seminar:
We began today with a discussion on Michael Horton’s A Better Way. Horton uncompromisingly comes out of a strong reformed tradition. He emphasizes covenant, worship as dialogue, sovereignty of God, scripture and preaching, and the sacraments. Several participants spoke against his strong voice and his attacks on other traditions. One commented about the lack of missionary zeal, and another suggested his high view of the sermon occasionally bordered on idolatry.
Our discussion transitioned into examining different pieties that exist in just about every tradition: doctrinal, evangelistic, and sacramental. These different foci affect how ordinary church members, even within the same denomination, pray. We also commented on the influence popular Christian press and radio has on the local church regardless of denomination.
We then moved to a discussion of Gerardo Marti’s A Mosaic of Believers, which focuses on a mission driven church near Hollywood that emphasizes creativity, relevance, and culture. One participant described this church as “the church that flies by the seat of its pants.” Another explained, “Mosaic is not a Hollywood church but [for this church] Hollywood is a way of life that is mirrored in religious life.” In reaction to this congregation’s focus on being open and forward looking, one participant remarked that every group of people will eventually reach a point where they can stretch no further and maintain their identity. How does a group, such as this one that claims their identity is openness, determine where that point is? The discussion raised several other questions as well: How do congregations that target one demographic minister to the whole range of life experiences (from birth to death)? Are we just doing entertainment, or are we sharing arts in worship that draw people into asking deeper questions? Is the goal worship renewal or innovation, and how do these play out in the life of a congregation?
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