Worship Arts’s Blog

This weekend I had the opportunity to be at Willow Creek Community Church in the suberbs of Chicago for a conference on Group Life (community). Although I was primarily there to learn about how to facilitate small group ministry at Hope, indirectly I was inspired from a Worship Arts perspective by the excellence around everything Willow Creek does. In the worship context, it’s most obvious in the quality of the lighting, sound and video. What is less obvious is all the planning and production that happens behind the scenes to create a worship experience for people that is seamless and devoid of the little distractions that often derail people in their worship. You really get the sense that the table is set for the worshipper to be with God and it’s up to you to partake of this holy meal.

On the other side of that coin, I find myself sometimes being more drawn to worship expressions that are very raw and unproduced. Maybe it’s very organic—an acoustic guitar or a piano, and a very informal feel. Sometimes these expressions feel less self-concious and therefore more authentic. I wonder if this is more a matter of preference or if there is a real learning here. For now, I think Hope is striving for something in between. Trying to find that balance between excellence and authenticity.

Your thoughts?