Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent TimeWhy do churches fight Worship Wars? Why do discussions about how to conduct worship often split into two vitriolic polarities over traditional versus contemporary styles or into two opposing camps, such as organists/ guitarists, baby boomers/elders, returnees/loyalists or clergy/musicians? These worship wars prevent us from being the Church. In Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down, Marva Dawn writes to help local parishes and denominations think more thoroughly about worship and culture so that they can function effectively in contemporary society. She roots her discussion of worship issues in a careful assessment of significant aspects of the present technological, boomer, post-modern society and names criteria by which to judge the various cultural influences. She then sketches essential attributes of worship. Dawn recognizes that the vitality and faithfulness of our personal and corporate Christian lives and the effectiveness of our outreach to the world depend on the character that is formed in individuals and communities. How can churches best reach out to society without dumbing down this essential character formation? Dawn discusses music, preaching, and all the accouterments of worship and offers practical suggestions for choosing the best tools and forms to deepen worship life, nurture faith development, and increase believers outreach throughout the universal church and to the world. |
Contents
Why This Book Is Critically Needed | 3 |
The Culture Surrounding Our Worship | 15 |
Inside the Technological Boomer Postmodern Culture | 17 |
Outside the Idolatries of Contemporary Culture | 41 |
UpsideDown Worship as a Subversive Act | 57 |
The Culture of Worship | 73 |
God as the Center of Worship Who Is Worship For? | 75 |
The Character of the Believer Having Content or Being Content? | 105 |
The Culture in Our Worship | 163 |
Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water or Putting the Baby in Fresh Clothes Music | 165 |
Worship Ought to Kill Us The Word | 205 |
Discovering Our Place in the Story Ritual and Liturgy and Art | 241 |
Worship for the Sake of the Culture | 277 |
Reaching Out without Dumbing Down | 279 |
The Church as Its Own Worst Enemy Is It Happening Again? | 297 |
The Character of the Church as Christian Community What Is at Stake? | 129 |
Common terms and phrases
Abingdon alternative society Barna become believers Bible biblical boomers chapter character choir Christ Christian Century Christian community Church's worship congregation contemporary Contemporary Christian Music culture Culture of Narcissism culture's dialectical dumbing Eerdmans emphasize evangelical experience faith feelings focus Gaddy genuine George Barna Gieschen given parenthetically God's presence gospel grace Grand Rapids Hendricks heritage Holy human hymns idolatries images insists Jacques Ellul Jesus Keck language leaders Lischer Listening liturgy lives Lutheran Lutheran Worship marketing Martin means modern musicians Nashville Neil Postman numbers nurture O'Day offer parish pastors Place for Truth Postman postmodern praise prayer preachers preaching psalms questions recognize religion religious response reveals ritual Scriptures sense sing society songs spiritual style teach technological Technopoly television theological things tion tradition understanding Walter Brueggemann Welton Gaddy William William Hendricks Word worship music worship participants worship practices worship service worship wars
References to this book
Postmodern Youth Ministry: Exploring Cultural Shift, Creating Holistic ... Tony Jones No preview available - 2001 |
Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice Franklin M. Segler,Randall Bradley No preview available - 2006 |