This is about being a Clergy Woman in the city of Anniston,Alabama. The thoughts, musings, wisecracks, ramblings of it all.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Contemporary Worship services?
Northpoint in Atlanta made a video parody that has been making its way around the internet and is on vimeo. It's called "Sunday's Coming". I couldn't believe how much it sounded and looked like some contemporary worship services I have seen. It was interesting to me that there were no women on stage, all men. Does that say something? And what about "Christotainment Sunday morning services"? Is that what they have become? How about contemporvant? What is that? And what about Growtivation? Are we guilty of that. Any hoo, how much does your contemporary worship look like this? And how many times have you gone to a workshop where there was worship like this and thought, man if only we looked and sounded like that in our contemporary worship? Well don't.
Where ever you start your contemporary/alternative/whatever you call it worship service, make it indigenous. Make it what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. Make it one that worships God and not just entertains. Make it meaningful. Make it real and not just bait and switch.
Disturbing... and yet quite realistic. And it's interesting that NorthPoint was the one to put it together as I've heard they are among the worst offenders...
Cool on top of Cool. I liked the parody. I visited North Point about 15 years ago. They were having major growing pains with parking & seating. They are Baptist of course, or they were? You can’t tell that from looking at their website now. I guess it’s not cool to admit you are Baptist anymore. Anyway, their pastor, Andy Stanley is the crown prince of Southern Baptist Royalty, even if his style is a little wayward. Obviously, guys with tattoos are edgy, but women on stage would just be radical. Weird, I didn’t even notice that until you pointed it out. I’m glad you did.
I have mixed reactions the first time I saw this. The parody struck me as a bit mean-spirited, or at least not altogether Christian. Knowing that it is made by a church that certainly does hip and relevant worship changes that reaction some.
I'll note that Adam Hamilton's list of the 10 largest churches in Methodism on his blog continues the trend - all male pastors.
Thought it was a bit of a send up of Rob Bell...!!! It feeds into a culture within church that says 'well I left that church because I got nothing out of it'... which always makes me say: 'ahh, and what did you put into it?'
ha! coming from a liturgical denomination this doesn't look or feel like church to me in any way shape or form. And for me, contemporary has more to do with theology than stage props and scenery. and, yeah, it includes women. Thanks Abi for posting this.
What I like about the video is that it challenges the popular idea that "if we make it cool enough, people will come." And yet, knowing that it is a self-parody makes me wonder what the intended purpose was. I have asked North Point media a few questions (but no reply yet).
Too close for comfort. I have been wondering lately why it is that in the church we presently attend it is now okay to sing a hymn again, as long as it is the new, hip version from the radio. Owww...disturbing.
they hit it spot on. i'm totally with you that contemporary/emergent/new worship needs to be indigenous to its place if it's not then it will be crap and emotionally exploitive. it stinks that "being authentic" is now another show.
Yikes. I hadn't seen that. It's a little scary. We brought one of our 11 yr old's friends with us to church on Sunday, and he's a regular at a church like that. He was perplexed by the lack of a big screen and flashing lights, and surprised to see my son acolyting. When we first sat down he asked why there were so many empty seats, saying that at his church, people had to stand in the back because there wasn't enough room. But later, as we were going out, he said, "You mean you really know all these people? Weird."
10 comments:
Disturbing... and yet quite realistic. And it's interesting that NorthPoint was the one to put it together as I've heard they are among the worst offenders...
Cool on top of Cool. I liked the parody. I visited North Point about 15 years ago. They were having major growing pains with parking & seating. They are Baptist of course, or they were? You can’t tell that from looking at their website now. I guess it’s not cool to admit you are Baptist anymore. Anyway, their pastor, Andy Stanley is the crown prince of Southern Baptist Royalty, even if his style is a little wayward. Obviously, guys with tattoos are edgy, but women on stage would just be radical. Weird, I didn’t even notice that until you pointed it out. I’m glad you did.
Elizabeth Springfield
I have mixed reactions the first time I saw this. The parody struck me as a bit mean-spirited, or at least not altogether Christian. Knowing that it is made by a church that certainly does hip and relevant worship changes that reaction some.
I'll note that Adam Hamilton's list of the 10 largest churches in Methodism on his blog continues the trend - all male pastors.
Thought it was a bit of a send up of Rob Bell...!!!
It feeds into a culture within church that says 'well I left that church because I got nothing out of it'... which always makes me say: 'ahh, and what did you put into it?'
ha! coming from a liturgical denomination this doesn't look or feel like church to me in any way shape or form. And for me, contemporary has more to do with theology than stage props and scenery. and, yeah, it includes women. Thanks Abi for posting this.
What I like about the video is that it challenges the popular idea that "if we make it cool enough, people will come." And yet, knowing that it is a self-parody makes me wonder what the intended purpose was. I have asked North Point media a few questions (but no reply yet).
Too close for comfort. I have been wondering lately why it is that in the church we presently attend it is now okay to sing a hymn again, as long as it is the new, hip version from the radio. Owww...disturbing.
wow! that was amazing!
they hit it spot on. i'm totally with you that contemporary/emergent/new worship needs to be indigenous to its place if it's not then it will be crap and emotionally exploitive. it stinks that "being authentic" is now another show.
love you!
Interesting, especially the comments, and your thoughts and the thoughts of the commentors echo my own thoughts.
But one silly question - "What's a vimeo?" Did I miss something in the rapidly changing world of religious technology? :)
Yikes. I hadn't seen that. It's a little scary.
We brought one of our 11 yr old's friends with us to church on Sunday, and he's a regular at a church like that. He was perplexed by the lack of a big screen and flashing lights, and surprised to see my son acolyting.
When we first sat down he asked why there were so many empty seats, saying that at his church, people had to stand in the back because there wasn't enough room. But later, as we were going out, he said, "You mean you really know all these people? Weird."
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