Music And The Arts Among The Contemporary Churches
The entries that follow offer an overview of the current worship practices of most of the major denominations in this country, each prepared by a person active in that particular church. Read individually, they furnish a wealth of fresh ideas; collectively they give evidence that, while each denomination remains theologically focused on its tradition and centers its worship on the familiar, there is hardly one which is not actively re-examining its worship philosophy and experimenting with new forms, music, and visual art. Insularity and Rigidity (and their offspring Routine and Passivity) have given way to a flowering of creativity which fosters commitment. Earlier labels such as Liturgical, Praise, Full Gospel, and Evangelical are no longer definitive. Each denomination appears to be eager to learn from the practices of others as a stimulus to their own worship rather than looking only to the past, only inward, or only to other churches within their denomination. Narrowness is out, a…
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Chapters & Articles in Music And The Arts Among The Contemporary Churches (52)
In Seventh-day Adventism, the worship service is the center of congregational life. Evangelism, social concern, Chr…
When Methodism failed to meet the needs of free blacks in the United States, Richard Allen and others established a…
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion) has been at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality …
Although rooted in that wing of the Reformation which made the most radical shift away from highly developed liturg…
The objective style and biblical structure of worship in the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayerallowed it…
Having originated in the Pentecostal movement of the early twentieth century, the Assemblies of God still exhibit c…
Numerous Baptist groups and independent Baptist congregations exist in North America. The following entry is a gene…
Because Baptist churches are congregationally governed, worship practices vary. Thus, general statements about wors…
Among the Plymouth Brethren, the congregation's worship life centers on the "breaking of bread" meeting. This meeti…
Calvary Chapel uses contemporary music in worship but does not emphasize the visual arts. Music. Music has always…
Christian education, social outreach, and concern for the development of women in leadership have become increasing…
Within the churches of the Alliance, renewal of worship is extending its impact beyond the historic evangelistic an…
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has been especially concerned that they understand how worship relates t…
From the movement's beginning, worship in the Christian churches and Churches of Christ has been evangelistic in or…
Originally a denomination consisting largely of people of Dutch origin, the Christian Reformed Church has in recent…
In ascribing worth to God, worshipers find themselves confronting God's presence in the whole of life. In this entr…
During most of its first century of existence, the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, has concentrated on a free …
Congregations of the Church of God in Christ have a vibrant tradition of praise singing and free-flowing worship. M…
Known historically as a pacifist denomination, the Church of the Brethren finds in corporate worship a powerful set…
The spontaneity permitted in Nazarene worship, along with the warm evangelistic thrust of the corporate gathering, …
A strong renewing movement within the Churches of Christ has made its impact on the integration of worship with oth…
In Congregational churches, the relationship between worship and other ministries becomes apparent when the church …
The Divine Liturgy of the Eucharist has been the historic center of life in Eastern Orthodox churches. The liturgy …
Though heir to the liturgical tradition of pietistic Lutheranism, the Evangelical Covenant Church adapted to a revi…
The pattern of local church autonomy in the Evangelical Free Church of America results in great variety among the l…
Ministries of social justice, pastoral care, and evangelism are all advanced by the liturgy itself in most Evangeli…
The conviction of Quakers, or the Society of Friends, is that genuine worship results in a change of attitude that …
Jesus' imperative of making disciples of all nations implies an inclusive ministry. Women, children, and physically…
Worship is the adoration of God. Worship can also be an important vehicle for spiritual formation, and for the educ…
In the Missouri Synod, the public liturgy is viewed as the life of the church of Jesus Christ. Consequently, the li…
With its roots in the radical wing of the Protestant Reformation, the Mennonite church has historically emphasized …
Messianic Jews occupy an uncomfortable position between a Christian church that sometimes fails to appreciate their…
Worship in the National Baptist Convention of America is respect for the "worthship" or worthiness of God. Worship,…
Churches of the National Baptist Convention of the USA make extensive use of traditional black music such as spirit…
Discussion of worship issues within the Presbyterian Church in America centers on interpretation of the regulative …
Presbyterians are convinced that worship, work, and witness are inseparable within the one life of the church. Thro…
The congregations which make up the Progressive National Baptist Convention are not bound by denominational directi…
Congregations of the Reformed Church in America strive to make their worship both orderly and informal in the effor…
The Reformed Episcopal Church reveals its evangelical and liturgical heritage in worship which proclaims the gospel…
For Roman Catholics, the liturgy is the foundation for living the Christian life in the exercise of all ministries …
Within the Salvation Army, recognition is growing that the dual priorities of evangelism and social action can find…
Like Baptist groups in general, the Southern Baptist Convention is an association of congregations which function a…
The United Church of Christ has encouraged member congregations toward greater inclusiveness in worship and related…
Social concern, evangelism, and Christian education have all been important aspects of the Methodist movement since…
The relationship of people with God, expressed through worship, is the central focus of the Vineyard churches. View…
The Wesleyan Church, throughout its history, has emphasized social concern, evangelism, and personal holiness. Thus…
The life of Wisconsin Synod congregations centers around worship in Word and sacrament. Evangelistic and educationa…
Women's Aglow, an international organization of women, experiences an intimate connection between worship and its m…
Liturgical traditions can still offer great flexibility for integrating into worship a broad spectrum of church min…
Because worship motivates believers to care for a broken creation and instills in them a vision of God's new creati…
Within the Pentecostal-charismatic community, worship renewal may take the form of a reappropriation of more tradit…
Churches that have adopted the format of a broad-based "seekers' service" (accompanied by a separate, more intense …