Stages Of Worship Renewal

Worship renewal, like most growth in the natural or spiritual realms, takes place in stages, beginning with the awareness of the need for renewal. It culminates in a climate that encourages continued openness to the Spirit's transformation of church worship.

In the past several decades, the research of educational specialists has made it increasingly clear that progress, development, and change occur in stages. The work of Piaget and Kohlberg in moral development, as well as that of James Fowler in religious development, have been helpful in understanding the sequence of change. What is true in the field of moral and spiritual development appears to be true in the area of worship renewal as well: growth happens in stages. Evidence for these stages arises out of the work of pastors and church leaders who have committed themselves to a worship renewal based on biblical and historical precedent. These studies suggest seven stages of development which a local church passes through in its pursuit of growth in worship. These are: 1. The Awareness Stage 2. The Analysis Stage 3. The Knowledge Stage 4. The Resourcing Stage 5. The Experimental Stage 6. The Renewal Stage 7. Semper reformanda

The steps toward worship renewal are critical stages which must unfold in sequence. Obviously there is no set time frame for concluding one stage and entering another. Instead, the stages of development merge into each other, interconnecting and supporting one another. Furthermore, in any given community at any given time, people will be at different stages of development. Consequently, once a sizeable portion of the congregation has passed through these phases, leaders need to be sensitive to those who are at other stages of development in their spiritual journeys. The process of growth takes time, whether it be the growth of a tree, a child, or a church. The process requires patience. Each stage may be enjoyed for what it offers. It is cause for celebration when renewal efforts in worship bear fruit in which meaning and joy are tied to a reenactment of God's saving acts and in which God's people are touched with his transforming power. 1. The Awareness Stage. The initial step toward worship renewal begins when part or all of a congregation senses there is more to worship than their present experience allows. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Such awareness is often prompted by a visit to another church where worship is experienced in a deeper dimension, or through contact with a person, an article, or a book that challenges one's experience and concept of worship. This exposure usually results in a more intense interest in and curiosity about worship, demonstrated through noncritical questioning and a subsequent longing for a more fulfilled worship. 2. The Analysis Stage. The second stage of development grows out of the unfulfilled longing for the more satisfying worship that was experienced or encountered in the first stage. Initially, a person or community begins to ache for a true experience of worship. There is an unquenchable need for something more. Because a person does not know what that "something more" is, and because the church is not moving beyond a worship now regarded by some as dead, the inner self become frustrated and upset. Attendance at worship often becomes counterproductive and even damaging to the spiritual quest. At this point, when the worshiper begins to reject the worship in his or her church, two things may happen: the person may reject the style of worship but remain in silent protest, or he or she may openly criticize what is experienced as shallow and irrelevant worship. Finally, the person may explode in unresolved anger and leave the church, looking for another community where the longing for a deeper experience of worship may be fulfilled. For this reason, it is important for a local church to implement a critical evaluation and feedback survey which examines every aspect of worship and allows for honest input from every member. This analysis will accomplish a number of things for the worshiper and for the community as a whole: (1) The worshiper, feeling involved in the future direction of worship, will be less likely to leave the church in search of a worshiping community. (2) A diagnostic tool will bring to the surface hidden talents among worshipers which may be put to work in worship. (3) A diagnostic survey will provide the staff of the church with a sense of the congregation's disposition toward worship renewal. It may give the leadership permission to move more quickly toward worship renewal or caution them to adopt a slower, more deliberate pace. (4) A diagnostic should pique the interest of both the leadership and the congregation toward the next stage of development, the knowledge stage. 3. The Knowledge Stage. The first two stages are subjective phases of development which occur in varying degrees among people and communities traveling toward worship renewal. The third stage, which is an objective period of development, is a crucial stage for several reasons. First, the field of knowledge which touches upon worship is vast and includes knowledge of the biblical, historical, and theological sources of worship; learning in the arts; some understanding of communication theory; and sensitivity to ways to introduce change. Furthermore, all of this knowledge has to be distilled and adapted to the particularities of a specific denomination or tradition. Renewed worship needs to express what is common to the church universally, but in a style acceptable to the local church in which it is being introduced. And finally, this is all made more complex by the fact that knowledge alone is not adequate for worship renewal. The church must rely on the Holy Spirit to give life to this learning as the congregation gradually begins to reshape its worship. It is here, in the third stage, that a congregation may be most tempted to give up on the seven-step process and opt for the "quick fix." If worship renewal is seen merely as learning a few new songs or introducing more of the arts (drama, banners, dance) into worship, then a minimum amount of knowledge is demanded. The principles and practices of worship which arise out of the gospel and the biblical-historical practice of the church represent a serious discipline of study every bit as demanding as biblical studies or theology. Scholars in this field are now making this material available through books, videos, tapes, seminars, and worship clinics. Consequently, a congregation deeply desiring renewal of worship with staying power cannot afford to bypass the stage of learning. Since there is such a voluminous amount of knowledge available on the subject, it is best for a church to have both an introductory course on worship and an ongoing study that continues to explore various facets of corporate celebration. 4. The Resourcing Stage. The resourcing stage—the period of gathering materials for worship renewal—begins after a certain amount of knowledge has been acquired. Like the gathering of knowledge, this resourcing will continue as the church grows. As a congregation becomes more knowledgeable about worship, the "how-to" question will naturally arise, creating the demand for a variety of resources to assist a congregation in its worship growth. A vast amount of material is available to a church looking for such resources. In the past decade, a virtual torrent of materials prayers and confessions, eucharistic liturgies, sacramental actions, music, art, and dance has appeared. In addition, an equally impressive amount of studies and resources has been published dealing with the church year and the relation of worship to evangelism, education, and spirituality. 5. The Experimentation Stage. The fifth stage of development is closely related to the previous stages of knowledge and resourcing and, for best results, should follow in its turn. Nevertheless, experimentation with new forms of worship can be introduced slowly and knowledgeably, in connection with the two previous stages. Unfortunately, some churches leap to the experimentation stage with inadequate knowledge and resourcing. When this happens, a congregation may quickly revert to the style of worship they were using before they attempted worship renewal. They failed to construct an adequate foundation for making enduring changes. 6. The Renewal Stage. The most important hour of the week for a congregation is the hour it gathers for worship. When the people are no longer passive spectators but active worshipers, statements like "I love to worship," "I come here because of the worship," and "This worship strengthens me" will be heard again and again. This renewed worship is worship in which God's event of salvation in Jesus Christ is genuinely celebrated and is truly experienced as a healing event by all who gather. People will go from worship not frustrated or angry, but at peace. They will know that God is there for them, that Jesus Christ is actually present in worship to touch them, to heal them, and to make them whole. This kind of worship arises out of the gospel, the proclamation that Christ is the one who brings forgiveness and healing to our lives. It celebrates a divine action, as Christ's saving, healing, comforting, and guiding presence is made available through the Word and the Lord's Table. Finally, it issues in a genuine response to this divine action, as people worship in faith and trust, openly and receptively. This is the kind of worship in which God is glorified and with which he is pleased. It is not a lecture, yet we are educated; it is not an evangelistic service, yet we are drawn to commitment to Christ; it is not a counseling session, yet we are healed; it is not entertainment, yet we enjoy God and love to worship in his presence. 7. Semper Reformanda. Keeping renewal alive requires the continuing engagement of the congregation in the process which has been described. Once a congregation has passed through these various stages and entered, to whatever degree, a state of worship renewal, it is of the utmost importance for that congregation to remain diligent and watchful in its practice of worship. The Protestant reformers had a phrase for this activity: semper reformanda, the church must always be reforming itself. There are several ways in which leaders may assist the church in this continuing reappraisal of worship. These include (1) teaching an ongoing course on worship, (2) establishing a worship committee whose responsibility it is to keep a vigilant eye on worship, and (3) bathing worship in constant prayer.