Indigenous Worship

Consider the amazing thing that happens every time United Methodists gather for worship:

WHERE. We worship in churches large and small, old and new, city and country. We worship in sanctuaries, fellowship halls, chapels, homes, storefronts, jails, prisons, theatres, malls, funeral homes, wedding chapels, nursing homes, hospitals, parks, beaches, offices, schools, dormitories, and gymnasiums. And while most United Methodists worship in the USA, we also worship in every corner of the globe, in both hemispheres and all continents.

WHEN. We worship Sunday morning at 11:00 or any other point on the clock. We worship in the afternoon or evening, Saturday evening, Wednesday night, early morning and midnight, any day of the week, even spontaneously with no planned hour or day.

WHO. We are old, middle age, young, and newborn. We are all races and national origins. We are rich and poor, well-educated and not, city slickers and country folk, Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals. We speak hundreds of languages and dialects.

HOW. And here's the truly wonderful thing about United Methodist worship. Because of the great variety of WHERE, WHEN, and WHO we are when we worship, we are blessed with incredible diversity in HOW we worship. All these factors play a role in United MethodistM worship and music style: the songs we sing; when they were written; by whom; whether they are accompanied and by what instruments; the languages we use and how we put words together; whether we sing from hymnals, song sheets, or projected images; choir or praise team; whether we stand, sit, clap, dance, sway, raise hands, open or close eyes; robes, suits, or street clothes; use of candles, crosses, and symbols; sermon or message; drama, video clips, storytelling; worship or evangelism; seekers or saints; formally liturgical or spontaneous; and yes, even contemporary or traditional. I see all these as parts of the true and acceptable worship of United Methodists.

We recognize our diversity as United Methodists, and we encourage worshiping congregations to cultivate, celebrate, and preserve that diversity. It is one of the strengths and hallmarks of United Methodism. We have even named it — INDIGENOUS WORSHIP. It is worship that expresses the cultural norms of the people. It is worship and music that is offered in the heart language of the people. It is worship that springs from deep within the identity of the community. And it all pleases God.

Indigenous worship is also one of the answers to the question, "Why is the Sunday worship hour segregated?" (See "Music Musings #25, Segregated Worship.") The truth is, United Methodist worship is not segregated — it is invented week after week based upon the congregation's WHERE, WHEN, and WHO.