Anxiety at Introducing Praise Worship

[Editor's Note: Many churches initially have trepidation introducing contemporary worship, also called praise. But pastors often feel it must be done to reach a new generation. Here a pastor introducing contemporary worship in 2006 tries to assure those who may be perplexed.]

By the Rev. Jinsik Lee
UMC of Petaluma
[Adapted from the Petaluman, September 2006]

Petaluma -- September 12, 2006

More people are coming to the first worship service. It is an experimental and new style of worship using cutting edge technology, the computer Power Point program. When you come into the Social Hall where Sunday morning praise worship is held, you will see a big silver screen filled with rapidly moving videos, and hear new style gospel music from the audio system.

There are no traditional formalities such as a prelude or call to worship. The worship starts with singing several songs. They are mostly new-age gospel songs, sung by the current world community of Christian churches. It is not the music but also the words to which worshippers must give attention. The service puts more concentration on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If you don't know the melody, it is all right for you just to follow those words on the screen while you tap your toe on the carpet or slightly move your body to the rhythm. Most of the words are biblical, so you can remind yourself of the Word of God, God's love and grace, Jesus Christ, and what he did for you.

Our world is changing rapidly and, in some sense, relentlessly. The change has both positive and negative sides. Fortunately, we have many worship leaders who have tried to take the positive side only. With amazing gratitude I see so many young artists trying to use modern technology for Christian worship. The music may sound the same to you as modern pop or rock music, but if you hear their words, they are messages and proclamations from the Bible.

The truth, the gospel of God, the teachings of Jesus Christ, never change as the generations pass by. The gospel that our ancestors sang in the underground church is still the same gospel sung in modern Sunday worship. However, the style of Christian singing has been changed and will continue to change. No matter how the style might be changed, in every worship service, we focus on the words of God, singing his praise, and offering ourselves to our loving heavenly Father.

All church families can use this new style service for their alternative opportunity for Sunday worship. For example, if you must go somewhere Sunday at the time of our regular worship, you can come at 9 a.m. -- to praise worship -- rather than skip one Sunday worshipping God. You can also invite your neighbors, young families who are busy going to games or activities on Sunday. It is exciting to have new style worship in our church. We will continue to develop more fresh ways of this praise worship while keeping our 10:30 traditional service.

Brothers and sisters, September is here. Children are going back to school. We, as a church, kick off our fall with refreshed spiritualities. Go through a second round of Pentecost.