...Getting into Ruts
Comfortable, predictable patterns are not all that bad, but when they get to be ruts they can be destructive...especially when it comes to corporate worship. I grew up in a non-liturgical church, but found it to be more full of predictable ruts than the liturgical traditions that were roundly criticized for following a prescribed pattern! I knew where every prayer was, when we would stand and sit and even which verses of the hymn we would skip! This resulted in a meaningless experience for me on many levels. With all of the variety of worship options today, we still have problems getting into ruts. Some services always start with something loud and move toward a quieter level. Others have a "clapalong" song at the beginning of every service...and some may have a spoken call to worship each week. I like to suggest that leaders have a process whereby they always are taking a look back and a look ahead...say four weeks back and four ahead. In doing so you can see inadvertent patterns that are on their way to becoming ruts. You can notice trends and discover creative elements that you have neglected. Change for change sake can be anti-worship as well, but ruts lead to meaninglessness and lack of Godward expression. Please don't let that happen...look four weeks back and four ahead to see how you're doing. Four back and four ahead!