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Currents Counter-Culture: Indigenous Worship vs. Religious Mobility

If every congregation does its own thing, how will newcomers ever feel at home?

In Worship Evangelism (Zondervan, 1995), Sally Morgenthaler urged churches to view worship as exactly what postmodern seekers have been seeking—a unique experience of the presence of God. Later she founded Sacramentis.com to help them design interactive worship services especially suited to their communities. We wondered how indigenous churches can still feel like home to the growing number of people who are moving to new addresses but seeking Christian community.

You encourage congregations to create their own music and liturgies. But what elements of worship must we have in common?

Sally Morgenthaler: Planning doesn't begin with a blank slate. We still look for prayer, interaction with Scripture, and praise and adoration. But that's not enough. The elements need to point to a common theme—the character, person, and acts of God. In the growing diversity of worship styles, what's at the core of worship? The "Grand Narrative."

What does this Grand Narrative look like?

Liturgical churches historically ...

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