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ON.WORSHIP
Fusion Worship
(Spirit
and Truth in post-modern worship)
by
Frank J. Nihart
This
article appeared in the most recent issue of Creator magazine
www.creatormagazine.com
The post-modern world is filled with Christian and
non-Christian seekers. The
invention of each new technological marvel issues a countering thirst for
knowledge and purpose in the heart of man.
Man was created in God’s likeness.
Man was made to have a relationship with his Creator.
Man was made to worship. The
culture of post-modernity is asking the eternal question of humanity: “If
there is a God, how can I know Him?” The
quest is for more than just knowledge. There
is a thirst for experience, for a felt realness of God.
The quest is not unique to non-Christians.
Christians are asking similar questions:
“How can I know and experience God in a fuller, more complete and
personal way?” The answer lies in
plurality: Spirit and Truth.
Worship is impossible without the Holy Spirit.
Worship is impossible without truth.
The worship history of Christianity has evolved through a panorama of
extremes from chant to multimedia. Post-modern
worship draws fully from this history to meld Spirit with Truth.
The desire to know God
can be fully satisfied. If we
thirst for God with all our hearts, we will find Him. (JER 29:13)
Post-modern
worship is fusion worship.
It looks
through all windows of the past and present in order to give God the most
possibilities. The mindset of
post-modernity is rangy and inquisitive. Post-moderns
want to know and feel, to know reality through truth.
Truth is not accepted until it is tested. But, truth must ultimately be accepted. Post-modern God-worshippers who know the truth want to
express it spiritually. Jesus
Christ said that He is the truth (JN 14:6).
He said He would send the Holy Spirit to guide in truth (JN 14:15-17).
Fusion worship expresses truth through emotion.
Fusion worship is holistic and multi-dynamic.
Most importantly, fusion
worship
is worship in Spirit and Truth.
Fusion worship is broad in practice, narrow in
purpose, inclusive in participation, complete and pure in content, flexible in
format, inexhaustible in style, and culturally diversified.
It is God centered, Spirit filled, and scripture based, theologically
sound, and historically reliant. It
invites creativity and freshness expressed through ancient process.
It is artistic and monotonous, complex and simplistic, ancient and
modern, antique and technological, spontaneous and prescribed, planned and
flexible, disturbing and comfortable, mysterious and understandable.
It chants and sings, prays and preaches, heals and dances,
gives and takes, eats and drinks the body and blood. It gathers the people, preaches the Word, celebrates the
covenant and commissions the Body. It
fosters corporate-ness and individuality, body and parts. It inculcates privacy and publicity. It requires loving and obedient living resulting in
intentional participation.
It begins with God and ends with God. Its purpose is the
glory of the Triune God and optimum interaction between Him and His worshippers.
The result is changed lives: faith, forgiveness, strength, conviction,
salvation, freedom, peace, hope, love, power, trust, patience, endurance,
assurance, fellowship, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, healing,
self-control and the coming of His kingdom on earth.
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