tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post6573017634819959998..comments2023-11-02T09:14:47.151-05:00Comments on Bill's Thoughts: WORSHIP WARSBill Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573859102823530876noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post-11883039382962136152008-08-31T14:22:00.000-05:002008-08-31T14:22:00.000-05:00Thanks, Mike. Well said!Thanks, Mike. Well said!Bill Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13573859102823530876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post-70471876125596545262008-08-31T14:13:00.000-05:002008-08-31T14:13:00.000-05:00"Church," as it has been "done" in the recent past..."Church," as it has been "done" in the recent past has been something of a spectator sport. There have been performers on stage--the music leader, the special music folks, the pastor--and the spectators, i.e., the congregation in the stands . . . er, the pews.<BR/><BR/>I think the general trend to try to make worship a more all-inclusive, comprehensive experience for all has been good. The recognition that folks need to be drawn into worship, to be absorbed into worship is a good thing. As you so well pointed out, God is the spectator, and we are, all of us, the performers as we offer our praises to Him to glorify Him.<BR/><BR/>To use your theater analogy, it is not about us, or shouldn't be. We are all the performers. God is the only one who paid the admission price, so he is the only one who is entitled to get his money's worth. Can you imagine a theater performer who signed on to perform a part, and than walked off in the middle of the show because suddenly he or she decided that they didn't like the script after all?<BR/><BR/>Thank you for the perspective on this Bill. I think many congregations are making little strides to try to bring the entire congregation into full participation in worship. Such devices as replacing pews with more comfortable individual chairs, praise and worship teams rather than song leaders, theater in the round where folks can see each other, and other similar devices are all good. But many of these changes are as much opposed as changes in music styles by those who are comfortable with the status quo because "that's the way it's always been."<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure what the answer is to all of this, but I think part of it is leadership. Leadership in any church should set the tone and the direction, and then pull people along. But there needs to be a clearly defined, well thought out plan to move from point A to point B--point B being a fully-inclusive, meaningful worship of our great God.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909962760879873547noreply@blogger.com