I was just telling some friends, that I'm reading a deep book. The title of the book is "Discerning the spirits : A guide to thinking about Christian worship today".
I've actually had this book since .. early September, but haven't had the time to finish it. I was almost a third into the book, when work settled in and all. Now that I am on my holiday, I'm making good time and progress on the book and I just thought that I'd share a couple of points that I've gathered from the book.
What better way to start than to have a quote!
Cultural adaptation of worship is inevitable, even as we are "inevitably subject" to culture. So if worship isn't adapted to this culture - including, to some measure, contemporary popular culture - it's not that it is being adapted to no culture, but to some other one. Worship doesn't take shape in a cultural vacuum, for a culture is the gospel's atmosphere, worship's habitat.
You know, we say words like "The culture nowadays is to .. " at the headings of our sentences that describe a particular way that things today are. Even the pastor at my church here in Penang commented on Sunday over the pulpit that 20 years ago, things were so different.
Culture is something that, to some extent, governs the way we live, the way we speak, the way we are as a whole. As implied by the inverted quotients in the quote, we are "inevitably subject" to culture. While this is true, and bringing this point forth .. we know that there are bad cultures and good cultures around. It takes us to filter, and be filters of the culture so that firstly, we ourselves will seep the good culture, and get rid of bad culture for our own good. And only then can we be the examples/guides to the rest around us by filtering it for them.
Same goes with worship. Especially worship, since there are just so many influences of music, words, lyrics, melody lines, sound in general.
Here's what John Calvin said.
In truth, we know from experience that song has a great power and strength to move and inflame the hearts of men to invoke and praise God with a heart more vehement and ardent.
In saying that, we also know that in similar ways .. darkness and evil nature can also be incorporated into melodies and harmonies.
So how? Here's what the book continues to write.
Music moves us, or at least it has a powerful potential to do so. And so does God, who sometimes uses music as His instrument. But as Handrikus Berkhof's work suggests, God does not always move us, not even in worship; and not all that moves us is of God.
I know that sometimes .. God just doesn't move us during worship. For whatever reason it is, I'm sure that many people experience it. I'm not implying anything by making that statement, so don't judge me on that but .. yeah, that's besides the point. The point is .. sometimes .. being inclined in a particular way of worshipping with music governs what we think worship and the music used together with it is. Where as, worship really is quite able to be achieved on its own WITHOUT the use of music.
I'm addressing the culture nowadays, to have a certain way music during worship should be played. Be it loud, or made soft to accommodate the decibels that the ears can take .. the imposition of standards upon the church at large to "perform" in the aspect of worship. Even worship bands from Australia, or the US. Planet Shakers have their own culture, Hillsongs have their own culture, Passion in the US have their own style.
Back to the first quote. Worship will be adapted to a culture, be it our own culture, or the culture of another. It is adapted to the culture of which the message of the Gospel will and can be communicated and that the people will have the ease of relating to God through that style of worship.
Culture changes. Another inevitable fact. Knowing what to adopt and what not to adopt is what requires discernment. Hence the book. Hehe. I've not finished the book yet, so .. stay tuned for more thoughts.
I guess, the reason why I am reading this book, and the thoughts that are coming to me regarding the culture of our society and worship in the church is that desire to improve as a worship leader. It's important to understand what can be done for worship in the church .. and what cannot be imposed on the congregation, according to the culture of the society that we are in.
Deep, huh? I think so too.
David[hmm]
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