Worship Is For Me?!?
The latest issue of The Christian Century (7/12) includes a quote from worship consultant Sally Morgenthaler where she said that in the past 30 years worship in American churches has shifted from an emphasis on an encounter with the divine to didactics. If this is the case (and my sense is that it is) this would account for the expulsion of children from most American churches' worship services. It is difficult to make something cognitive and didactic intergenerational while an encounter with God is simply by its nature intergenerational.
2 Comments:
We have a new church plant that's a couple of years old. We're working to include our children in worship. Though there are things I love about Young Children in Worship, our time, money and people resources are limited and doing it as a separate program for young children still separates families and the community.
Even believing that this is the Biblical model and working with young pastors who want to include the children, it's very very challenging. Making various elements of worship simple and recurring, presenting the story from the Word in a clear, simple way that will cause children to stop what they're doing and listen - it's not really traditional, it's not really contemporary and I think it's scary for parents.
But you're right! How people define worship (coming to encounter God, coming to listen, coming to bring gifts to God vs coming to get what I can get) is a key factor. "Didactic" wonderfully describes how children are excluded from worship. Adults lacking the vision and desire to find ways to include children in the experience is another factor. I don't think most of the adults in the church really understand that children belong there. It pleases God when we bring our children to worship Him.
Very cool design! Useful information. Go on!
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