Culture and Worship

[Ascetic X]

The contemporary churches in America have used secular tools and ideologies in a miserable attempt to attract people.

Hypnotic practices abound. Among them are the 7-11 repetitious praise choruses.

I attended a mid week service where a single praise chorus went on for over a half an hour. Not sure how much longer, because I got up and left. I have seen video presentations that heavily utilized hypnotic visual techniques. One such video I recall was dealing with the Prayer of Jabez fad.

Psalm 136 does use a repeated end phrase “for His mercy endures forever”, but no, or very few, other Psalms do this.

Worship often is interpreted as anointed rock concerts. But worship is not just music. Worship should include silent contemplation, praise reports, prayer requests, and recitations of creeds.

Churches are dying rapidly. It is time to seek the reasons for this and get more Bible focused. Secular marketing and hypnotic methods are clearly not the answer.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Hello, Baptist Board. It has been somewhere around seven or eight years since I have posted here. A lot has happened in my life since then. I traveled and sang Southern Gospel music, started my own Southern Gospel group and traveled in the Tennessee / Alabama area, doing about 60 dates per year. I then settled down, and attended Liberty University where I graduated with a BS in Worship Studies with a Commercial Performance Cognate. I am now in school to get my MA in Music Education, after which I will go back to Worship Studies for my PhD.

I have written extensively (nothing academically published) on the topic of worship and music standards, especially as it relates to IFB churches (I grew up IFB). I am curious as to your opinions, and put the question to you here; how much should culture impact the worship in a church? This question extends to both churches here in the USA, and in other countries.

Glad to see you back here & posting Snapper. The church I most often is an old school Primitive Baptist Church in Tampa Florida… and if you know anything about them, they are a conservative group of Baptists known for adhering to "original"practices, emphasizing G-D’a sovereignty, predestination, and salvation by grace alone, leading to simple worship (a cappella singing, no instruments),rejection of modern missions/societies, and upholding ordinances like foot-washing.

Frankly, I don’t know how that would fit into your current situation however we could talk bout it if you like.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

The contemporary churches in America have used secular tools and ideologies in a miserable attempt to attract people.

Hypnotic practices abound. Among them are the 7-11 repetitious praise choruses.

I attended a mid week service where a single praise chorus went on for over a half an hour. Not sure how much longer, because I got up and left. I have seen video presentations that heavily utilized hypnotic visual techniques. One such video I recall was dealing with the Prayer of Jabez fad.

Psalm 136 does use a repeated end phrase “for His mercy endures forever”, but no, or very few, other Psalms do this.

Worship often is interpreted as anointed rock concerts. But worship is not just music. Worship should include silent contemplation, praise reports, prayer requests, and recitations of creeds.

Churches are dying rapidly. It is time to seek the reasons for this and get more Bible focused. Secular marketing and hypnotic methods are clearly not the answer.

I totally agree. Theatrical based worship isn’t for everyone, especially the conservative scripture adherent type. Frankly it’s a turn off.