Sunday, September 25, 2011

Entertainment Worship Conference

For those of you interested in learning how to turn worship (which, ahem, means "to prostrate oneself in reverence" - the pastors in the video should have learned that at seminary) into a really cool, hip, rad, me-centered, entertaining emotion-fest, this might be the conference for you (Lutherans should steer clear, though):

6 comments:

Jim Pierce said...

The consumeristic driven pop-church hipsters don't realize that they are driving people out of the churches because the logical end to all this "I can worship with my cell phone, on Skype, blah, blah, blah," is that one can then just as well worship at home without a pastor or a congregation. So why go to church at all? Just go sit on a rock somewhere and "worship" amongst the trees.

Rev. Thomas C. Messer, SSP said...

Jim,

Good point, but I think the response from these hipsters would be that, while one could surely worship with one's cell phone, on Skype, blah, blah, blah, in order to really get the super-duper, ultimate, get-down-with-Jesus experience, you need to come to the show they put on, where you can feel the power of the music and the drama and the "message." I mean, it's one thing to listen to your favorite band at home, but quite a different thing to get to go and see them live and in person.

I think this is why Joel Osteen packs the stadium every week. You don't need to go to the stadium; you could watch him on TV or online, but to get the full "experience," you need to see him live.

The preacher becomes the celebrity/performer and worship becomes the show they perform. The "Great Commission" becomes "Go and make Jesus-followers of all nations, entertaining them in the name of feeling, emotion, and enthusiasm, teaching them to make of Christianity what they want."

It ain't Biblical, but it sure does scratch itching ears and pack stadiums!

NBeethe said...

This church (LakePoint) is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is in my circuit. I know the pastor playing the drums, and yeah, I disagree with most of what he does. And this church is being held up as a model in the Synod for church planting. Scary...

Larry Elliott said...

Beside the obvious theological shortcomings, it's just really lame. Did they really use the word, "authentic" to discribe their faith and worship? They all just need to go to a Who concert or something to experience true rock and roll and then get back to their Lutheran roots.

Pastor Peters said...

Ahhhhh, the joys of being in the Mid-South District. I know that there are these kind of things in other places but I wonder if it does not get shoved in your face by the District at every opportunity -- as if when you grow up and be a real church you will be like them!

jim claybourn said...

It appears that the church where the conference is being help, St Pauls, Flemington, is nominally at least a LCMS church. ?!?!?!?