Elder generations were raised in an entirely different culture. For them, there is a clear distinction between the professional and the layman. Be it though it may, this mentality is brought into the worship setting. This means that this generation feels at ease and comfortable being told what to do. They enjoy receiving instructions and following them because it lets them relax and enjoy the experience, knowing that someone with more education or skill is guiding the situation. To step outside of this is quite distracting for them, and so experiencing more kinesthetic styles of worship can actually be quite disorienting and stressful for them because they do not feel comfortable guiding themselves through the worship experience.
Granted, often we criticize because, to us, their form of worship seems dreary and dead. But when you're tempted to blame their lack of expression or zeal on their style of worship, I challenge you to consider two things:
- At some time or place, their form of worship was the most zealous and passionate of all. If it is that way no longer, it is not because of the style, but because of the people.
- People are good at looking like what they know they're supposed to. Even worship services that are highly kinesthetic and expressive from an outward appearance can still be filled with people who are not genuinely worshipping, but are only looking like it because they've been trained to do so by that particular church "culture."
Following is an article written by a Catholic on this subject. Do you agree or disagree with him? Post your interaction in the comments.
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