Marva is one of my favorite authors. I thought I would post a few quotes from a book I am reading called "Is it a Lost Cause? Having the Heart of God for the Church's Children." You can get it here. Anyways, here are the excerpts. They are all found on page 77.
"...so many churches throughout the country...have confused worship and evangelism, and in doing so have prevented the community from equipping its off-spring to have the heart of God and, therefore, to be missional - that is, participating in God's mission - in the world."
"I grieve that many congregations have turned their worship services into "happiness" celebrations and thus foster the selfish consumerism that their members have already learned from the world, instead of nurturing in them the authentic Christian discipleship that brings genuine Joy and service to the world."
"The church always needs both old and new music, continuity as well as reformation, a sense of the heritage of faith going all the way back to Abraham and a conciousness of the need to put the faith in accessible forms and new wineskins."Labels: children, church, evangelism., missional, music, worship |
hmmm...interesting. I'd have to say that I agree with Marva on this. I do think a worship service would be very celebratory, but in the understanding of celebrating true joy in the midst of life and suffering.