MISSIONAL WORSHIP UPDATE

Terry Timm here with an update on our last Emergent Pittsburgh gathering. We spent the afternoon together around a warm fire (thanks to Kevin from Crestfield) dialoguing about missional worship. Here are a few summary thoughts and a couple of questions for reflection and on going dialogue.

WHAT IS WORSHIP – Tim Smith defines worship as “our response to God’s initiation in an appropriate way that brings God glory.” Dieter Zander has articulated the following definition of worship: “bringing all that I know of myself before all that I know of God.” During our gathering we talked worship as an ongoing dance between God’s revelation and our response, both individually and communally. What about you? How do you define worship? Or perhaps worship is better described that defined? What do you think?

MISSIONAL WORSHIP – Have you ever noticed how often we use adjectives to describe our worship? Traditional worship, contemporary worship, liturgical worship, seeker sensitive worship, postmodern worship….the list could on and on. What’s up with this? Is missional worship simply the next thing or is there something deeper going on in this discussion?

Speaking about a motivating force for mission, John Piper has said, “mission exists because worship does not.” How does this hit you? What’s right about his statement? Is there something that doesn’t sit right with you?

INDIGENOUS WORSHP – Sally Morganthaler is my hero when it comes to thinking about worship in the 21st century. Last year I participated in an online forum with her and she said this regarding indigenous worship: “indigenous worship is a real-time, liquid responsiveness to the community, both inside and outside as a living organism. It is not the modern world predominance of one culture over another (seeker culture over believer; twenty-something ancient future over boomer and senior; Latino over African American), but an intentional reflexive presence within a self-forming and therefore, never before created community.”

Is this happening in your community? If so, how does it happen? If not, what steps might you take to create, facilitate, and nurture indigenous worship?

Let’s keep the dialogue going...

Grace and Peace - Terry