"Liberty or Chaos: Navigating the Evolution of Christian Worship in a Postmodern World"
“The world has changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.” This famous line from The Lord of the Rings applies to us today. Remember those days of yesterday years when one knew exactly what to expect when “coming to church.” Those days of monthly singing and fellowship, of dinner on the grounds, and simple straight forward sermons that were anything but a performance. Singing that was joyous with the ability to hear the congregation instead of being drowned out by those “on stage.”
What has happened? Two primary movements have contributed to the push for change you see in Christian worship and practice. Since the Enlightenment, some theologians have embraced “Liberal Christianity.” Liberal Christianity is Christianity that is open to new information from the natural sciences, philosophy, and other fields. This new information is used to change or modify biblical truths. It does not accept the inerrancy of the Bible. When postmodern philosophy postulated that absolute truth does not exist, truth and morality became whatever an individual determines it to be for himself.
These ideas have led many individuals to a new “freedom” in action and in worship. The overwhelming emphasis is on the individual instead of ties to family, community, or to a guiding faith. In many cases this turn to “freedom” has been embraced by congregations of Christians. While it is true that many of these long-gone traditions are methods and not fundamental biblical principles, the “freedom” embraced in progressive congregations increasingly violate biblical principles.
There is a “freedom” in Christianity—free from the slave of sin, and even “freedom” in worship. Since true Christan worship is exemplified by each one’s Christian’s life of service using their God given spiritual gifts, worship can be unique. But what kind of “freedom “ is this. It is not unconstrained freedom. Freedom constrained by certain principles is properly called liberty. As Paul said in I Corinthians, we all have “rights,” but this rights are constrained by Christian virtues and principles.
Unbridled freedom lets each individual determine for himself what is a virtue and what is a vice. This leads to chaos and anarchy. It is not long before a virtue becomes a vice and a vice a virtue. What is true is then determined by those with the most power. This situation is the essence of postmodern thought. Namely, there is no absolute truth. All is relative. Thus, those with the most power and influence can impose their ideology on everyone.
In the Christian realm when congregations buy into liberal or progressive Christianity, the same dynamic can occur. Those in power in a congregation can use their perceived newfound freedom to impose agendas that increasingly depart from biblical principles. Forgetting that the Christian enjoys liberty, but not unbridled freedom, some become captured by the current trends and culture of the day.
Liberty is anchored in the absolute truths of God’s Word. Though methods can change, principles cannot