Do you have a dynamic worship service at your congregation?
What makes it dynamic and effective? This question has come up quite a lot lately. As we seek to worship our wonderful God, is there a practical way to manufacture a meaningful worship experience for the majority of the congregants? Does it simply take a really good song/worship leader, or is it something more? Let me propose a short list and let you add to it what works at your congregation:
What makes a dynamic worship service?
1. Entertaining minister
2. Very talented Song Leader
3. Everything fitting within the 1 hr. time frame
4. A good devotional talk at the Lord's Table
5. Short prayers
6. Heartfelt prayers
What combination of these or other things makes up a dynamic worship service for you?
4 comments:
Gosh, Tom..I think a dynamic worship service comes down to, basically, having a JOY in sharing the WORD. I don't want an 'entertaining' preacher-I can turn the TV on to be entertained-I wany a preacher who is COMPELLING! And I don't think a song leader has to have a lot of talent....but enthusiasm is good, along with a nice mix of old and new, fast and slow hymns. The prayers should be spoken for everyone present.....if they're too personal it feels like we're eavesdropping and if they're too bland, then it's difficult to have that 'connection'. Yep, I'd say it all comes down to JOY and SHARING that joy with others...... and if the service fell within that one hour time allowance...that's fine, too !
GM,
Thank you for your wonderful, wisdom filled thoughts. I appreciate you perspective on the matter. I guess sometimes there is a feeling from some that "we need to have a better (fill in the blank)" and it's difficult to put all that together and come up with some way of helping everyone. And yet churches spend a lot of time thinking about how to manufacture that Joy for people. Thanks for your thoughts.
Tom
Worship is supposed to be personal, not entertaining, or even how it makes me feel. It is a shame (maybe a sin) to believe we "have to get something" out of worship. We are supposed to approach God in reverence, love and honor. We are to pay attention to the words of the songs, and be sure they say the true things of our hearts, not just catchy tunes or phrases." We are to follow the prayer leader, and if he is not saying anything meaningful, then say our own prayer to God in thought. And when God's word is read, or used in the lesson or sermon, we should follow along, if not by actually reading our own Bible,than paying attention to what is said. We are to take as active a part in the worship as is possible or allowed, and come away from the worship service with the joy and willingness to share that gm has offered. Too often in the past I went because "I had to," or it was what everyone did. I have grown to see that it shouldn't be about me, but about how I love God and Christ, and want to share it with everyone I know. Don't tell children, "We have to go to church now," but "we get to go to worship or learn about God and Jesus." Help them understand the true meaning of worship.
Jeanne,
Thanks for adding your wisdom. I agree with what you've put here. I do have some comments that I will put in my next posting.
Tom
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