Praise teams …

Christian Century, Dec 12, 2001

I WAS disappointed with Anderson Rearick's article "Onward, Christian praise teams" (Nov. 14). While a healthy debate on religious music is important, this article was overly critical and even mean-spirited.

Margaret Schock
Huntsville, Ala.

Anderson Rearick's charming expose of the ballooning of praise teams in our churches popped some pretensions. However, there is more here than the dumbing-down of worship. Most of the praise services I have attended are marked by an overwhelming enthusiasm for the symbols of feudal monarchy and patriarchy. They enthusiastically rehearse a practically supine adoration of the all-powerful father and his obedient son, and exclude themes that resonate with our longing for constitutional democratic orders that respect the participation of everyone--especially women--in our public life. What we have instead is more redolent of the rule of a narcissistic despot than of the constituting power of a love and justice that calls us all into being. It's time to do our theological and ethical homework before we conduct worship--and that goes for more than the praise teams.

William Johnson Everett
Waynesville, N.C.

Enough with the same old sarcastic saw from sad-sack, sanctimonious worship critics. If Anderson Rearick would check, he would rejoice in the return to churches by thousands of young adults put off by years of so-called "sacred" and thus untouchable and inaccessible worship practices (both liberal and conservative). While a few churches are still using overheads and singing "Awesome God," many have graduated to sophisticated LCD projection systems that mix ancient and contemporary Christian art with lyrics written by faith-filled and eager poets.

In our church in downtown Boston, two services employing choir, hymnal and organ happily coexist alongside two more services of band, screen and joyous (as well as meditative) downbeats. All four services mingle people of all ages with each other and draw heavily from urban residents coming to church for the first time. We are considering a fifth service--a nice problem to have.

Daniel M. Harrell
Park Street Church,
Boston, Mass.