Bad Theology is like pornography — the imagination of a real relationship without the risk of one. It tends to be transactional and propositional rather than relational and mysterious. You don’t have to trust person… or care for Person. It becomes an exercise in self-gratification that ultimately dehumanizes the self and the community of humanity in order to avoid the painful processes of humbling and trusting. Bad Theology is not a victimless crime. It de-humanizes God and turns the wonder and the messy mystery of intimate relationship into a centerfold to be used and discarded.
-William Young, from the forward to the book “The Divine Dance” by Richard Rohr
If you have done any reading at all on church worship trends in the last decade, you have likely noticed that criticism of “contemporary” services are everywhere. Coverage of this topic by mainstream Christian media seems to range from a lukewarm “at least they come to church” position to some insinuating outright heresy. Often, “support” for contemporary worship is couched in terms that indicates that contemporary worship is great for the spiritual novice…who, with maturity, will eventually move on to a “deeper” worship. IMHO, a large percentage of the lukewarm “for” crowd, is merely hedging their bets…they see the numbers, and they aren’t about to kill the golden goose (not yet, and not while it’s still laying). Those with strong negative feelings about contemporary worship now have good reason to ratchet up the angst….if there is a schism in the UMC, where will these non-traditional congregations (and their tithes) go?
Most who know me would be surprised to hear that I agree with many of the concerns and criticisms heaped upon what is collectively known as “contemporary” worship.
Sadly, it seems that many congregations have used contemporary worship not as a means of creating a more authentic worship, in synch with the realities of the world we inhabit Sunday evening through Saturday night, but as a means of increasing attendance (or slowing the decline). What was, for many, a way of finding space to cover new topics, new concerns, new focus has became little more than a way to get more people in the door.