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what
is postmodern worship?
Many
people have asked us, what does it mean to be
"postmodern" and how does one have a
"postmodern" worship service? Well let's
take them one at a time - but before we start, let
me say this as plain as possible - we do not speak for the whole
postmodern movement. we simply speak for us and how we see
things. if you agree, great - if you don't agree, great - we are
simply giving our points.
First,
we believe being postmodern is far more then simply a
"generational" thing, in other words -
postmodern is not only a "genX" thing (we do
not like the term "genX" - we prefer
"postmodern.") it is a "everyone"
thing (see a copy of The
95 Postmodern Theses).
For us, and we believe most, postmodern is where we get
past the "corporate culture" and the
"enlightened age" and move to a deeper
understanding of God in our lives. It is a place
where we find both the mystery and the wonder of who God
is, in relationship with us, and who we are in
relationship with others. Which takes us to the
next question.
We
believe a postmodern worship service has the following
elements:
Christ
Centered - we see We see postmodern
ministry as being solid and sold on Christ and all He
has to offer - we do not shy away from our faith in
Christ.
No
Central Figure Head - Because worship is a
communal activity with many people involved there is no
one person who is the center of attention - all are
equal. That is not to say there is no Pastoral
Staff. There is solid Pastoral Leadership,
leadership in helping others get involved.
Participative
- Because it is the responsibility of the Pastoral Staff
to get as many people involved in worship we see worship
as getting as many people involved as possible: the more
the better.
It
Recognizes Community - It see people, both
inside and outside of the community of faith as valid
and in need of knowing God's love.
It
is Whole - Worship seeks to help us in all we
are and do - it helps us develop a 24/7 understanding of
God in our lives and it works on our mind/body/soul.
Tolerant
- Postmodern Worship does not say, "we are the
only form of worship." In fact, we believe
other forms of worship are valid and as such we are open
to trying new things.
"Allness"
- Meaning, we see little
difference between the "secular" and the
"sacred." We believe everything belongs
to God and the concept of "secular" is a human
concept designed to separate "us from them."
Dependant
-
It is not the desire of any postmodern ministry to
create another "denomination." We are a
"relationalist people" always seeking ways to
help us develop into full disciples and to walk our path
for Christ. That is why we are not interested in
the walls that divide us into little groups, we have a
larger "world view" of our faith.
Symbolic
- We do not reject the symbols of the past, and we
are open
to developing new meanings for new symbolic. As
such, we rely on all our scenes - all our scenes.
Multi-Media
- We believe that the use of technology can enhance our
worship experience. While technology can enhance,
it does not drive our experience. It is always
substance over style.
john o'keefe
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