In conversing with parishioners about worship, and in particular with absent parishioners about why they are absent from worship, I’m struck by the reasons that are often given: “We’re looking for a church with a band.” “The music’s just not youth-friendly.” “The music’s not upbeat.”
That people aren’t coming to worship bothers me little; they are responsible for their own attendance. That people provide a host of reasons for not coming to worship also bothers me little; rationalizing our behavior is part of the human condition. What bothers me is where people set the criteria for when they would come to worship, because each of the three reasons in the above paragraph imply that if a church had a band (the implication being one with guitar and drums), youth-friendly music (an undefined, ever-moving, and nebulous target), and “upbeat” music (for the rhythmically gluttonous), then these lax worshippers would be as devout and regular in their worship attendance and enthusiasm as the pope is Catholic.
The problem with this is two-fold. First, for worshipers to draw this sort of line in the sand is manipulative, and for us as leaders to believe this sort of deal would actually produce the stated results is naïve. Second, and more importantly, these are all wrong reasons to be attending worship. Aidan Kavanagh wrote in his book Elements of Rite:
If one goes to liturgy for a discussion of current events or the latest ideology, one goes for the wrong reason. If one goes to liturgy for the organ prelude or choral anthem, one goes for the wrong reason. And once wrong reasons invade liturgy, or anything else for that matter, there is no end to it. For then all mutates into something else; liturgy becomes a lecture, worship little more than a crutch for culture rather than a critic of its defects or excesses.
What can be done? How should worship leaders address these issues? Have you seen this at work in your own setting?
1 comments:
That quote reminds me so much of Isaiah 29:13
"The Lord said,
'These people claim to worship me, but their words are meaningless, and their hearts are somewhere else. Their religion is nothing but human rules and traditions, which they have simply memorized.'"
There certainly are a lot of "wrong reasons" for attending and not attending. The song Heart of Worship reminds me of this and the need to return to God, that it *should* be all about him instead of the "thing we've made it" ... "more than a song," etc.
Anyways, I think leaders need to start within, examining their own reasons for worship attendance. During lenten devotions this year I realized that I needed to find my way back to God after falling into the temptation of attending primarily "because I had to be there" and/or "because I love singing/playing." As in Matt 7:3, we have to get the log out of our own eyes before focusing on the speck in another's eyes.
Beyond that as one step towards addressing the issue, I'm unsure of what should be done although I recognize what you're saying and wish I knew. I would love to try to find answers through doing some sort of worship leadership Bible study on this topic if there's anything good out there. That Isaiah verse and 1 Corinthians 14 particularly would be wonderful for study and discussion.
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