Participatory Worship

In the seeker movement, worship was very much performance centered, with a super star minister and highly proficient worship leaders. This also led to megachurches, which could offer the absolute best performances.

There are positives from this movement, such as doing things with excellence. We work extremely hard in our jobs, but then often just throw worship together. This should not be. And having godly, gifted people leading worship is a good thing.

However, worship in the NT--from what we can tell--seems to be both led--preachers like Timothy--as well as participatory (1 Cor 14), with many different people contributing. This can be done by asking questions, by testimonials, or by video. Not only is this biblical, but it is culturally appropriate. We have moved to an interactive world, from the Internet to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (which has audience participation). Young people in particular find it difficult to sit through a service without substantial interaction and direct participation.

In their work Emerging Churches: Creating Community in Postmodern Cultures, authors Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger speak of this shift to more participatorial worship.
"By turning from consumers into producers, worshipers feel a sense of ownership, and in the process of being actively involved, they are more likely to be significantly affected by the worship experience. People are more engaged when they are part . . . rather than members of the audience . . . This alternative model has to be taught, experimented with, and demonstrated, but it is an understanding of church that arises directly out of the New Testament."

What ideas do you have about how to make worship more participatory?