Where has worship gone?

[DeanZF]

<QUOTE author="mmitch47,Jun 2 2009, 04:19 PM">

How CAN we as pastors, musicians, actors, artists work together to bring us all closer to the King and who he is and give him the honor that is do him

I think this is the 64 bazillion dollar question.



Some of the arts folks, especially in what some have called seeker churches, have tried to make the worship experience as rich and varied and, well, habit forming! Every week was a new experience. New skits, new songs, new arrangements, new, new, new, new. The whumping up of addictive stuff does nothing to build relationship. If the relationship is solid, whumping up is not needed! And beside that, it did not work. No lasting fruit, no real spiritual growth. Most who came did not stay and of the ones who did, most stayed for the show but did not get much involved in the spiritual side of things. That's from the things I've read by some who've gone that route. Not saying it was a scientific study or anything, just reporting what others have told me about their own experiences.



How do we exhort, how do we present the Truth, how do we offer what we know? We did a series of four extended worship times several years back. I felt strongly that Father was wanting me to make this available. Talked with a local pastor (3 blocks from home local!!), and had a couple of his selected intercessors praying with me for the four particular Saturdays, four hours for each event. Did some advertising, did some phone calling, had a couple of other musicians whose spirits I trusted to help provide four hours of soaking worship. Invited a few dancers and movers. Created a different fabric hang for each of the services. Four totally different tones to the settings.



For the four services, we had a total of 4 of the pastor's folks actually show up, including the two intercessors and about 6 others over the four services, none from our own congregation. Not many willing to come and soak. Pastor was there 3 out of 4 and would have been for all but there was a death in the congregation on the one he missed. We left the hang for the services on the Sundays after the Saturdays and there was a profound impact on the congregation. Pastor & I both knew that while the fabric was impressive, it was the hours of time in His presence that set a spiritual atmosphere in the place that took the breath away on Sunday mornings. He experienced more confessions of faith on those Sundays than he had in years. Deliverance from besetting sin, exposure of some really, really dark stuff that had been lurking but could not lurk any longer, and a release in honest, deep worship in his congregation that had never been.



How CAN we instill, impart, or evoke that kind of "wanna"? The gut-tightening, heart-sick level of wanna that makes other things pale in importance? Even people who have experienced it are too tired, too over-committed, too SOMEthing to make an effort to even WANT to be involved that way.



Oh, Father, what is the secret? How do we turn their hearts toward home? Show us the way, oh Lord!