The concept of church has changed in our secular ultra-individualistic society. Christians often don’t see it as a biblical imperative, rather as a voluntary organization for companionship or social service. If a church does not meet our individual needs we either demand change, move to a different church or stop attending altogether. There is little sense of allegiance or duty to a church or even to a denomination.
I believe that a significant part of the problem we face as a denomination is one of communication in worship. We come to worship to encounter God — to open our hearts and minds to something greater than our own humanity. Worship that does not enable participants to encounter God and allow them to be transformed on some level is not perceived as being authentic. If worship is perceived as being inauthentic it is deemed to be irrelevant. Methodist theologian Leonard Sweet remarks that: “It is one thing to talk about God. It is quite another thing to experience God.”
The challenge is to find how to engage the wide diversity of people found in our complex society with God through our worship, including younger generations with a radically different conception of reality referred to as postmodernity. Of course, revitalizing worship is not the only answer, but I believe it to be the fundamental one. We have to communicate the message with the fullness of human expression: intellectually, emotionally, intuitively and sensually. We need to be bold to explore authentic Christian expression of the mystical. The primary challenge is one of communication and implementation. This will involve enhanced use of the arts (particularly music) and rediscovering voices from the ancient church as well as from those around the world and of all living generations.
It is not a worship leader’s job to create the desire for communion with God, but to create an environment that allows for this to happen. I believe the creative use of music in worship can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of this communication. Music is a language of the heart that allows us to move beyond the cerebral suppression of emotion. It is an ecstatic medium — there is an overflowing of expression that is more than intellectual intent. It is able to transcend the analyzable. Music is capable of being sensual, cerebral, mystical, physical, and metaphysical at the same time. More than any other medium, music can seamlessly cross generational, historical and ethnic boundaries. We can experience the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition. This speaks directly to postmodern sensibility. Music is possibly the single most important worship vehicle in drawing together this diversity.
Thomas Long of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, describes vital congregations having an increased use of music in worship. Music is used to gather people, to reinforce a reading, to generate a sense of mystery, to express thanksgiving, joy, sorrow, to surround the offerings of the people, and to send the people into the world to service. Congregational music-making is cultivated through all of this — led by professional music worship leaders. Excellence is described as music that empowers the congregation and gives the congregation a means to express the thoughts and feelings of their worship. Long emphasizes the need to develop a congregational ethic of tolerance and mutual participation.
The 1997 Presbyterian Book of Praise contains a significant diversity of music, but it needs to be used much more effectively. Choosing hymns based solely on lyric content is ineffective worship communication. Of course lyric content is a very important parameter in choosing hymns, but stylistic diversity is important as well — where stylistic is defined as the musical context through which the words are communicated.
It is important that at least one of the worship planners become intimately familiar with the Book of Praise (this is a long-term project). Creativity sometimes means choosing the not-so-obvious, or choosing a hymn that may not have as much lyric content depth but can engage worshippers on another level. Many ethnic and contemporary hymns do not have the depth of content that some classic hymns have. Their strength, however, can often be greater because their experiential nature speaks more directly to certain generations.
There needs to be more intentionality about choosing diverse hymns. You can’t cover all bases every Sunday, but I think that if a worship service has four out of four traditional hymns it is exhibiting a narrow theological communication, regardless of the lyric content (the same goes for choosing four contemporary hymns). Ethnic hymns take a different intentionality. I have found that people of all generations respond to the freshness and vitality of African, Latin American, Jewish, and other songs for worship included in the Book of Praise. They do need a certain amount of interpretive expertise by music leaders to ensure stylistic integrity. The ethnic experience can sometimes be heightened by singing these hymns in their original languages (published in the Book of Praise alongside the English translations).
Many congregations are supplementing music from the hymnal with music from the Iona and Taizé communities (the Book of Praise contains a number of pieces from both of these communities). Particularly for responses, the global music found in volumes from these communities is invaluable in broadening our vision of God. There are many creative ways to use responses to highlight liturgical seasons and service themes with the goal of developing a congregation’s repertoire of varied memory-based responses.
Balance comes into play in the long-term objective of helping a congregation find its singing voice, and in teaching a congregation to understand the theological importance of expanding its vision of God by constantly learning and challenging itself. This is an act of worship. Use of a cappella singing can also help us rediscover the immediacy and sacred sensuality of singing. Use of hand drums (such as African djembe) can help us rediscover the vitality and sacred physicality of rhythm. Use of re-contextualized accompaniment can help us rediscover the sacred contemporary value of traditional hymns. On the practical side, no one likes to be constantly fumbling with new melodies. It takes sensitivity as well as persistence to strike the right balance of familiar and unfamiliar. The fact is, some criticism is inevitable no matter how slow you go.
Part of developing an emotional contour in worship is utilizing the right resources, and there are many, from African-American spirituals to responses from the Taizé community, to contemporary choruses. This is not content music; it is encounter music. It is easy to memorize and is often repetitious (but with some layers of spontaneity and variation). Repetition in music (whether meditative or celebratory) is sometimes a challenge for older generations that are often not used to this form of music. Leaders need to develop in their congregations a culture of tolerance and respect for expression that is not some people’s primary preference, if they are serious about including all generations in worship. Developing this culture is a long-term objective.
Andrew Donaldson, co-editor of the Book of Praise says: “Two words that are important for how Presbyterians can change worship are: play and passion. Rhythm, body, drama are more words. Presbyterians tend to equate seriousness with solemnity and elevate solemnity above all other virtues. And by solemnity I mean a kind of ceremonial deliberation and slowness. I think we need to understand that we are physical creatures. And I think we need, both as singers and as movers, to express the other sides of the human reality.” Presbyterians have always valued music in worship. Effective communication in worship will need even more emphasis placed on music. This means not only singing more in worship, but also being creative in the use of music throughout the service.
Some will undoubtedly think I have not gone far enough in my proposals for worship reform, just as others will think I have gone too far. That is the nature of church.
There is no correct way of making worship a transforming experience — it is God who makes worship transformational. The gifts and skills of worship leaders and members of the congregation will determine specific approaches. Creative design and implementation of worship involves collaboration in order to achieve biblical and aesthetic integrity. There is a future for Presbyterianism in Canada, but not a guaranteed future. Our denomination needs to be able to demonstrate that it is capable of effectively communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ to our current reality. The focus of our discussion needs to shift from what we are not prepared to do, to what we are prepared to do to accomplish this task. We must follow our stated vision: “We will seek to be changed, to be reformed, to take whatever risks are necessary as we learn to obey God’s will …” (PCC Vision Statement, 1989)
This article is a brief glimpse into Gordon McCrostie’s expansive thesis, Directions in Presbyterian Worship for the 21st Century, written for his master of theological studies degree at St. Stephen’s College, Edmonton. A series of study guides on worship renewal based on McCrostie’s thesis are available through the Vine—http://www.presbyterian.ca/resources/online/5030.
