Promote Worship

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Is Modern Worship More Than Music?

Have you noticed the visuals associated with 'worship' in a traditional church vs. an evangelical church?

cath-evang

The imagery someone in a traditional church (like catholic for instance) associates with 'worship' would most likely be:

  • Crucifix
  • Bread and Wine
  • Holy Bible
  • Lighted candles
  • Some one with joined hands & eyes closed
  • A cathedral or some similar looking building
  • Priests in....well 'priestly' attire and so on

Flip the pages of any edition of worship leader magazine and we get a good idea of the worship imagery associated with the modern church:

  • Dude/dudess in jeans & tees looking upward with hands lifted up
  • Dude/dudess in jeans & tees with an acoustic guitar in hand
  • Rock band on stage bathed in multi-colored lighting
  • Musical instruments
  • Powerpoint screen with Christian song lyrics on it
  • An emotional looking crowd in various postures like clapping, lifting hands, eyes closed etc.

I am not getting into a which-imagery-is-more-appropriate debate, but I can't help observing that it does beg the question: has contemporary worship compromised on substance for the sake of style?

What about you, can you share what image is uppermost in your mind when someone says 'worship?'

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