That’s different from worshiping blogging, isn’t it?

The thing that annoys me about the whole “praise & worship scene” is the very narrow definition of “praise & worship” that is required. Somehow it seems to require waving yours arms in the air to a really cheesy praise band performing rock music with incredibly repetitive lyrics that tell God how he’s more famous than Brittney Spears. Somehow, I don’t think God cares about that.

My only problem with all the criticisms lately is that they always follow the formula:

Style I don’t care for = shallow.

It isn’t automatic. I used to know a worship leader who would talk (sometimes pray) in the middle of the song. He was also one of the most mature Christians I’ve ever known, and one of the best all-around people.

All styles aren’t for all people - I’d just like everybody to keep an opwn mind, and not make assumptions based on style.

All styles aren’t for all people - I’d just like everybody to keep an opwn mind, and not make assumptions based on style.

Yes, nothing makes me feel closer to God than watching a nice display of interpretive dance.

Yes, nothing makes me feel closer to God than watching a nice display of interpretive dance.

Yet interestingly enough I know people who do feel closer to God via interpretive dance.

What brings me closer to god varies depending on the circumstances i happen to find myself in at any given moment.

Funny - one of the most moving moments of my life was seeing the Unity Steppers from Dickson, TN do an interpretive dance. There is a short video of them in action here:

http://x-alt-rhythm-and-praise.blogspot.com/2007/10/now-heres-some-of-what-you-missed.html

And yes, I did feel closer to God when they finished. To see someone offer up whatever talent they have been given in worship is a beautiful thing.

it’s not at all that I think other styles are shallow. It’s that I think they’re arrogant in a lot of ways. They seem to say”look at me” and presume that unless you’re as swept up as they are that you aren’t worsipping

Yet interestingly enough I know people who do feel closer to God via interpretive dance.

Yes, I’m sure those folks are out there. I suspect doing it is probably more worshipful than watching it.

“Sometimes I question your commitment to SparkleMotion.”

OK, inside joke. I think feeling close to God can happen at any time, be it sitting on a rock out at Radnor Lake or running 4 miles or baking cookies or reading a book …. I guess the distinction is what is classified as “worship,” and I guess I never understood why that geeky music has to be part of it. To me (and maybe also Slarti) it is formulaic and shallow, and I don’t get why that’s “worship.” It’s supposed to be “God-centered” but lyrically it’s very “me-centered”–here’s what I think of God. You’re famous, you’re holy, you’re awesome. It’s all about me me me. Who the heck are we worshipping here?

And I also don’t get why that’s “praise.” To me, praising and worshiping God involves some kind of service or mission. It involves serving the poor, or cleaning up trash on the road, or caring for the elderly or holding babies or sick kids or something.

Anyway … don’t mean to beat a dead horse but back in my Christian music days I had to listen to just about every praise & worship CD that came out and I got thoroughly burned out on the whole scene.

“Sometimes I question your commitment to SparkleMotion.”

I actually know a few places where that’s used for the same purpose. That and “why do you hate freedom?”

I think my understanding of worship (though I think I’d be more comfortable with the term glorification) is the act of consciously recognizing the divine, where as praise I’d define as the appreciation of that glimpse of divine combined with a tithe back to the source of it.

“Praise & worship” as it’s being discussed in this post doesn’t really fi the bill for me most of the time, but I can see and understand how it may fit the bill (per my own definitions) for someone else easily.

I think P & W is most defnitely something that we should include in our daily lives whether we’re changing a poopie diaper, serving food at the Misson on Thanksgiving, fixing a meal for the next door neighbor who’s had surgery…whatever…the idea of public P&W at church or in a group wherever there are two or more gathered in His name is not supposed to be about “Look how high I can raise my hands! I love Jesus more than you do!” When the Spirit is there and moving about…it’s hard to put into words.
It is not everybody’s bag and that is ok.