Style of Worship

[kayky]

While every denomination is different in its own way, it seems to me that worship styles fall mainly into two camps:

1) those that emphasize emotional experience (lots of hand-clapping and arm-raising/swaying, etc.)

2) those that emphasize liturgy and ritual

While I don't necessarily think that one style is superior to the other (it's usually a matter of personal preference or familiarity), I do see inherent dangers in either approach. In Style 1, there is a danger of emotional excess that has little to do with spirituality. In Style 2, there is the danger of disengaging from meaning and simply "going through the motions."

Okay, there is a Style 3. I've been to churches that offered neither emotional experience nor ritual, but it seems to me that those parishioners would have been better off sleeping in on Sunday mornings.

How would you describe the worship style of your church? Why do you prefer this style over others? What criticisms would you apply to worship styles different from your own? Do you see possible problems that could occur in your own worship style?

[ChaosBorders]

While every denomination is different in its own way, it seems to me that worship styles fall mainly into two camps:

1) those that emphasize emotional experience (lots of hand-clapping and arm-raising/swaying, etc.)

2) those that emphasize liturgy and ritual

While I don't necessarily think that one style is superior to the other (it's usually a matter of personal preference or familiarity), I do see inherent dangers in either approach. In Style 1, there is a danger of emotional excess that has little to do with spirituality. In Style 2, there is the danger of disengaging from meaning and simply "going through the motions."

Okay, there is a Style 3. I've been to churches that offered neither emotional experience nor ritual, but it seems to me that those parishioners would have been better off sleeping in on Sunday mornings.

How would you describe the worship style of your church? Why do you prefer this style over others? What criticisms would you apply to worship styles different from your own? Do you see possible problems that could occur in your own worship style?

I think the three main styles are Litergical (ritual/tradition oriented), Charasmatic (Emotion oriented), and Evangelical (which is often a blend of ritual and emotional).

I prefer the Evangelical since they don't seem to run into the problems you mentioned quite as often.