Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Sally Morgenthaler Quote

Hi friends. I am still on vacation, but thought I would throw up a quote from Sally Morgenthaler that was posted as a comment on Nancy Beach's recent post regarding the future of worship. Nancy is the director of the Arts ministry at Willow Creek Church. The conversation is in regard to how worship services must reform in order to reach our post-modern, post-Christian culture with the gospel.
It is time for the big questions. We cannot afford to just keep doing what we've always done. That has been Willow's message for thirty years: the need for reformation. Now those of us who have been faithful at the contemporary, entrepreneurial model - especially praise and worship - must ask again if what we are doing is really transforming lives and expanding the kingdom.

People who know me will say that I'm not into throwing out the baby with the bathwater. For instance, in worship, there is much the liturgical or classic Christian expressions can offer to us and I called for a fusion of old and new in Worship Evangelism. So what I am not saying is, "Get rid of worship." Yet, how does a missional, "embedded" perspectiive (i.e., being the church outside the building) inform what we do each week? I believe we are at an incredibly exciting juncture where an out of the building focus will re-make - re-form - our corporate gatherings in ways we never imagined. For worship services to be the overflow of our lives in the kingdom instead of the destination - now that is a vision of beauty and faithfulness worth all the wrestling and disequilibrium we can stand. Change is never easy. But the faithful church is always the changing church. The reforming church.

3 comments:

Adam said...

I really love Sally's writings. She gives such a straightforward, common sense, yet "ah-ha" vision with her work. Only recently did I purchase Worship Evangelism. I've always wanted to read this book, and seeing and hearing from her at the WCA Conference really jump-started that desire. Now, if I can only get through the other books I've been wanting read that are in line before Sally's :) :)

Anonymous said...

Scott said: "I am still on vacation, but thought I would throw up a quote from Sally Morgenthaler . . . "

ewww . . . throwing up quotes . . . . yech!

- J

sara lyn said...

wow. good quote. :) hope you are enjoying vacation! i think what she had to say in this is critical to the american church especially...constantly questioning what we are doing and why. not just in worship, but all around. :) good stuff.