Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down

by Dawn, Marva J.

• ISBN13: 9780802841025
• ISBN10: 0802841023
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-09-01
• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co

Summary

Seeking to help local churches think more thoroughly about worship and culture so that they can function effectively in contemporary society, Dawn roots her discussion of worship issues in a careful assessment of significant aspects of the present technological, postmodern society and names criteria by which to judge various cultural influences. She also sketches the essential attributes of true worship - worship that keeps God at the center, builds believers' character, and upbuilds the community.
In the process, Dawn discusses music, preaching, Scripture readings, rituals, liturgies, art, and all the accoutrements of worship, and offers practical suggestions for choosing the best tools and forms to deepen worship life, to nurture faith development, and to increase believers' outreach throughout the church and to the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Our Culture and the Church's Worship
Why This Book Is Critically Needed	p. 3
The Culture Surrounding Our Worship
Inside the Technological, Boomer, Postmodern Culture	p. 17
Outside the Idolatries of Contemporary Culture	p. 41
Upside-Down: Worship as a Subversive Act	p. 57
The Culture of Worship
God as the Center of Worship: Who Is Worship For?	p. 75
The Character of the Believer: Having Content or Being Content?	p. 105
The Character of the Church as Christian Community: What Is at Stake?	p. 129
The Culture in Our Worship
Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water or Putting the Baby in Fresh Clothes: Music	p. 165
Worship Ought to Kill Us: The Word	p. 205
Discovering Our Place in the Story: Ritual and Liturgy and Art	p. 241
Worship for the Sake of the Culture
Reaching Out without Dumbing Down	p. 279
The Church as Its Own Worst Enemy: Is It Happening Again?	p. 297
Appendix: Sample Children's Sermons
Works Cited
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.