Alan Roxburgh - mission writer and emergent leader writes powerfully and honestly from personal experience of his home church of the downsides of a "shared approach" to planning and leading worship
"I don’t believe worship is an ad hoc, serendipitous event led by who ever. Nor do I believe that it’s the department of some ordained clergy. But surely there’s need for us to be led in worship by those with some sense of its direction, order and focus? Two things have happen for me in recent months as I’ve honestly tried to discipline myself to be present in the midst of the variety that shapes each week . . .
First, I am astounded at how worship becomes little more than therapy for wherever the leader may be that particular week (usually down and struggling). Frankly, I resent being used to meet someone else’s therapy needs in the guise of worship.
Second, as a corollary, most of this worship is about our experiences; its not directed toward God. I don’t want to sound ‘better than’ in any sense but here’s the deal – when I worship I want to be drawn into an encounter with God. I want to praise, confess, listen, pray and be connected to the great traditions that have shaped us as Christians. Not much of that is happening these days! I come to worship hungry for God and go away just as hungry. I don’t want to be a religious consumer but I’m hungry and thirsty for God and for worship as the people of God. It’s amazing how easy it is to drift into a worship that, frankly, takes us in very different directions."
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