WMB is a series and this is Part 3, a final wrap up for  Monday’s post & Wednesday’s post…

The Myth of a painless offering of worship.

I believe that worship, speaking even of and specifically about our weekend gatherings, is not painless. Of course I do not mean that it is “painful” but that it is a myth to think we are entitled to worship without cost.  Yeah, I used the word “painless” as a way to address our demand in our culture for ease.  The goal it seems is to ease our lives, when sometimes things we do that cause pain actually advance us.  Exercise is a perfect example of this. Read the rest of this entry »

WMB is a series and this is Part 2 from Monday’s post…

The myth of a painless offering of worship

If worship is perhaps not a “painless offering” than it is not…

• three easy payments
• about feeling good all the time
• without cost
• all my favorite songs
• without using my brain
• always convenient
• about my preferences
• something for me but from me

Anything else we can add to the list?

I am finally beginning another set of posts in the Worship Mythbusters series here on the RKWL. Just a reminder: when I use the term worship I am speaking of “liturgy” or our public expression of worship. So for the sake of this discussion “worship” = what we do together in our weekend gatherings.
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WMB SPECIAL – I am taking WMB on a detour again with a special post in this series about the hoax and the song “Healer.”  This is part of a series here

MYTH:  Some songs are anointed by God.

In an Australian news agency, it was revealed that
Michael Guglielmucci, a former pastor of a very large young church in Australia, promoted a hoax about having terminal cancer connected to the newly popular Hillsong produced song “Healer” dealing a blow to the modern worship community.  Many on the blogosphere (like Los, Alex, Chris and Fred) have chimed in about their shock and sadness.  Indeed, this is a sad day.

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WMB SPECIAL – I am taking WMB on a detour writing a special post in this series about the Olympics.  This is part of a series here

MYTH:  Worship is nothing like the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.

The Olympic opening ceremonies in Beijing, China cost more than 300 million dollars.  It was indeed a spectacular display of culture and artistry and a celebration of humanity’s greatest efforts.  What I find interesting is that no major media person or popular public leader has complained about the cost.  Imagine if that money was spent on China’s poorest people.  Imagine if that money went to their own earthquake victims.  Well, you will not hear me echo those complaints.  The historical event was worth every penny, in my opinion.

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WMB 5.0 – How does expressiveness fight against legalism in our liturgy is where I am going today in this WMB post.  This is part of a series here

MYTH:  Loud, expressive, extravagant, joyful worship is not as holy as quiet, still and austere worship.

Of course the goal is not to enjoy your expression of worship, or to reach a certain decibel level.  The goal is to offer our lives, and in the context of liturgy, our communal life as a church.  What happens in a church is a person who has some tattoos walks in, and begins “feeling” it while some of the staid-suburban-Dockers-wearing-Christian-veterans in the pews begin to feel something else–resentment.

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WMB 4.4 – I am taking WMB and writing a few posts in this series about the ROLE OF THE WORSHIP LEADER.  This is part of a series here

MYTH:  The role of the worship leader is to help me the individual worship.

This myth centers around the idea that we as worshippers put a responsibility on a worship team to help us as individuals worship.  Really, worship is the responsibility of the individual.  The role of the worship leader is to provide an environment for the enitre congregation to worship, not just the individual.  I like what I heard worship leader Brian Doerksen say a few years ago to worship leaders:  “We provide a safe place for people to meet God intimately.”

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