Home Worship Planning Music Resources Worship at St. John's UMC, Albuquerque, NM Reflections on My Theology of Worship

Worship at St. John's UMC, Albuquerque, NM Reflections on My Theology of Worship

At St. John's United Methodist Church, every time we have a special worship celebration, such as a hymn festival or an important choral work as part of the liturgy, many people share with me their enthusiasm for the experience and their willingness to be open to new ideas in worship. For example, our World Communion services in October incorporated the Lord's Prayer in Chinese, God's response to the Lord's Prayer in Spanish, and songs from France, Cuba, Switzerland, Africa and, of course, the United States. Many were sung in the original language and were accompanied by organ, piano, guitar, violin, cello, and percussion. A number of people of various nationalities wore native dress, and they participated in a short drama, written by a church member, which graphically described the morning's message. The service opened with a procession led by the cross and the Light of Christ, followed by the liturgical dancers, the choir, and the clergy, all singing and dancing to the praise song from Cameroon. After the service I was gratified by the numerous members of the congregation who told me how touched they were by the cultural variety represented within the familiar framework of worship.

As I reflect on the impact that worship has in the life of the community, let me share with you some of my theology of worship.

People come to worship, among other reasons, to experience God, to find the wisdom and energy that helps them to deal with daily challenge, to learn how to be better Christians and better human beings, to thank God for many blessings, and to find comfort in moments of grief. Worship must be God-centered and should have the following characteristics:

  • Thematically coherent
  • Relevant to today's society and its issues
  • Intellectually challenging while emotionally stimulating
  • Appealing to different senses by means of readings, spoken word, music, visual arts, etc.
  • Reverent, but vibrant and energetic; proud of its heritage and traditions but welcoming to diversity

To me, engaging laypeople in the worship-planning process as well as encouraging their participation in the act of worship achieves the definition of liturgy as "the work of the people." People can enrich the worship service with their different gifts, such as creative writing, movement, acting, fine arts, and so forth. They develop ownership and transmit that enthusiasm and energy to others, resulting in church growth. Needless to say, staff members often learn much from the gifts and spirituality of laity.

Worship must be inclusive of different styles of music if we want to touch the lives of a diverse population. Various major choral works integrated into the service bring exhilaration to the congregation and should be interpreted with the highest quality possible in order to be effective in transmitting the message and dignity of the piece. By being inclusive, we teach tolerance and unity to the worshiping community.

The theme of the liturgy should reflect and reinforce that of the scripture and sermon for the day. We have a responsibility to educate the congregation and visitors about the heritage and symbols of the church and its liturgy. Once people know the meaning of what we do, it begins to make sense to them and their participation is invigorated. Such participation is vital because good worship avoids becoming a passive entertainment. People must be active participants by various means.

One principle that I have incorporated at St. John's in order to maintain interest and a refreshing approach to liturgy is periodically making some changes to the worship order. While it is important to maintain some basic structure that is familiar to people, small additions and variations made each time we enter a different liturgical season help to keep people alert and excited to come to church. The same routine for the whole year can be oppressive.


Copyright © 2002 José Daniel Flores.

José Daniel Flores is Director of Music Ministries at St. John's United Methodist Church, 2626 Arizona NE, Albuquerque NM 87110; telephone: 505-883-9717.

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