Worship Across Cultures


Book Description

A work that will inspire cross-cultural sensitivity, this practical guide provides a road map to the basic worship practices of the major ethnic and cultural groups in North American Protestantism. "In Worship Across Cultures, Kathy Black reports information about actual Christian worship practices gathered in collaboration with persons who come from and minister with churches in twenty-one different cultural contexts in the US. This book is a uniquely valuable resource whether for pastors who regularly lead Christian worship in cultural contexts beyond their own, or for persons visiting worship in another context to attend a marriage or a funeral. By approaching the study of worship through description of actual practices, it will inspire cross-cultural sensitivity, as well as providing food for thought and new ideas for worship. I heartily recommend it for laity, pastors, and seminary classes."--Ruth Duck, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary




Worship and Culture


Book Description

How are we to proclaim Christ in different cultures? This question was central to a landmark study on worship and culture conducted by the Lutheran World Federation between 1992 and 1999. Much has changed in the years since then: the world today more than ever is a multicultural global village. Worship and Culture revisits that LWF study and publication, shedding new light on the question from recent theological and sociological scholarship to expand and enrich the texts in the original three-volume work. This book includes texts from the main statements that came out of the original project as well as updated essays from some of the original contributors. It also adds new essays, prayers, and hymns to the conversation, inviting readers to consider what the life of the church should look like in today’s hybrid, multicultural world. Contributors Julio Cezar Adam Scott Anderson Mark P. Bangert Thomas F. Best Stephen Burns Anscar J. Chupungco, OSB Joseph A. Donnella II Norman A. Hjelm Margaret Mary Kelleher, OSU Dirk G. Lange Gordon W. Lathrop Anita Monro Martha Moore-Keish Melinda A. Quivik Gail Ramshaw S. Anita Stauffer Benjamin M. Stewart Glaucia Vasconcelos Wilkey Joyce Ann Zimmerman, CPPS




Leading Across Cultures


Book Description

Missiologist James E. Plueddemann presents a roadmap for crosscultural leadership development in the global church. With keen understanding of current research on cultural dynamics, he integrates theology with leadership theory to apply biblical insights to practical issues in world mission.




The Next Worship


Book Description

What happens when a diverse church glorifies the global God? Innovative worship leader Sandra Van Opstal provides biblical foundations for multiethnic worship, with practical tools and resources for planning services that reflect God's invitation for all peoples to praise him. When multiethnic worship is done well, the church models reconciliation and prophetic justice for every tribe and tongue.




Desiring the Kingdom (Cultural Liturgies)


Book Description

Malls, stadiums, and universities are actually liturgical structures that influence and shape our thoughts and affections. Humans--as Augustine noted--are "desiring agents," full of longings and passions; in brief, we are what we love. James K. A. Smith focuses on the themes of liturgy and desire in Desiring the Kingdom, the first book in what will be a three-volume set on the theology of culture. He redirects our yearnings to focus on the greatest good: God. Ultimately, Smith seeks to re-vision education through the process and practice of worship. Students of philosophy, theology, worldview, and culture will welcome Desiring the Kingdom, as will those involved in ministry and other interested readers.




Culturally-Conscious Worship


Book Description

Black uses shared stories, blended music, and the arts to enliven worship in culturally and linguistically diverse congregations. She provides biblical and theological foundations and practical methods and models for creating culturally-conscious worship.




Traditional Ritual as Christian Worship


Book Description

A necessary task of missionaries in recent decades has been to help local Christians "inculturate" or "contextualize" their faith, although the criteria for doing so often came from outside the context in which new believers developed their understanding of Christianity. Highlighting the voices of non-Western scholars, this work recognizes the importance of ritual and ceremony in the life of communities that seek to worship God in ways that reflect culturally appropriate responses to Scripture. The contributors -- some of missiology's leading lights -- discuss rituals, beliefs, and practices of diverse peoples, supporting the conclusion that orthodox Christianity is hybrid Christianity.




Gifts Of Many Cultures


Book Description

A moving collection of liturgical resources from the global community, "Gifts of Many Cultures" will enrich the worship life of congregations in all denominations. Tirabassi and Eddy have developed an anthology of original prayers, poetry, stories and readings for sermons; invocations; calls to worship; confessions; liturgies for Holy Communion and baptism; guided meditations; songs; drawings; and other resources designed around the seasons of the church year. This book will help enrich worship, encourage cross-cultural appreciation, facilitate church mission programming, and deepen spiritual understanding across the global community.




The Worship Mall


Book Description

Religion today is in competition with the leisure and entertainment industries. Gen Y, the postmodern generation, is open to spirituality; but most of todays young adults have not been born into faith communities where they feel any lasting allegiance. Studies suggest that for the young, belief in God is an optional matter, a virtual consumer choice. As a result, different trends in worship and worship styles are offered by different churches to suit lifestyles, attitudes, and personal taste.




By the Waters of Babylon


Book Description

A guide to biblically shaped worship, which has the greatest missional impact in a post-Christian culture By the Waters of Babylon examines a relationship between worship, culture, and evangelism that is centered in a desire for biblical fidelity rather than cultural relevance. Imagine how the Hebrews felt during their years of captivity in Babylon. How could they sing the songs they once sang in the spender of Jerusalem now that they sat in exile? Christian worship in the West faces many of the same challenges as this tragic account of Israel's captivity. By all accounts Christendom is dead, and unbiblical beliefs have progressively permeated Western thought, expectations, and culture. So how should churches respond to this seismic shift in their relationship with an increasingly post-Christian culture while still following the biblical mandate to reach that culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ? By the Waters of Babylon will help Christians wrestle through this critical issue of the relationship between Christian worship and evangelistic witness, especially in the context of an increasingly hostile culture. The author demonstrates that biblically regulated, gospel-shaped corporate worship that communicates God's truth through appropriate cultural forms will have the most missional impact in a post-Christian context.