“I don't think we should discriminate against an organization or congregation because they're religious, if they're doing good work. But government can't subsidize proselytizing or worship or religious activity. It can't.” IfsThinkingShouldGovernmentReligiousActivityWorshipOrganizationGood WorkDoing GoodCongregationProselytizing Author:Jim Wallis
“In the context of Quaker worship, it is perfectly appropriate for any person in the congregation to speak a timely word from the Lord.” PersonsSpeakLordWorshipAppropriateCongregationTimelyQuaker Author:Richard J. Foster
“Worship isn't God's show. God is the audience. God's watching. The congregation, they are the actors in this drama. Worship is their show. And the minister is just reminding the people of their forgotten lines.” PeopleShowsActorsLinesAudienceDramaWorshipForgottenMinistersRemindingCongregation Author:Soren Kierkegaard
“So we didn't get the denominations and the separate congregations really till about into Civil War time. What's happened then, of course, is now that we've had well over 100 years of this history to establish separate cultures, different ways of worshipping, and different ways of understanding theology so that when people try to come together makes it very difficult. And then, of course, social networks, you know, how do we find a place to worship?” PeopleKnowsWayTryingYearsWellsDifferentWarTogetherCultureCoursesSocialDifficultUnderstandingKnow HowHappenedWorshipTheologyDifferent WaysCivil WarSocial NetworkCongregationDenominationsWar Time Author:Michael Emerson
“If we go into white congregations, non-whites will sometimes say it felt like worship never started. It was sort of dead and didn't feel that warmly received. But so - and there are different realities either way, and it makes it difficult for all groups to try and cross boundaries.” IfsWayFeelsTryingDifferentSometimesRealityFeltDifficultWhiteGroupsWorshipCrossesBoundariesCongregationDifferent Realities Author:Michael Emerson
“It's one of the things we find in these congregations is that they are much more likely to be sort of up-beat worship styles, more likely that people in these congregations say "Amen," maybe get up and dance some, tend to be a little bit more lively than a typical white service would be, but not as lively as a typical black service would be.” PeopleLittlesWould BeBitsBlackWhiteStyleWorshipLittle BitBeatsGet UpTypicalLivelyAmenCongregation Author:Michael Emerson
“What happens is sometimes these congregations will still have the white style of worship, even though they're mixed, because folks are willing to give up whatever they may have come with. So it's still quite a stretch for African Americans, yeah.” GivingMayStillsSometimesHappensWhiteStyleWillingGiving UpWorshipYeahFolksAfrican AmericanCongregation Author:Michael Emerson
“Absolutely, although every congregation will say, you know, every worship leader will say it's vital. It's very important, but again these are, you know, these are different cultural styles.” KnowsImportantDifferentLeaderStyleWorshipCongregation Author:Michael Emerson
“So these are the kind of things that now when people are trying to move towards multiracial congregations that they're stressing. They're talking about these scriptures that say we ought to come together, and that at Pentecost, when that the Holy Spirit is said to have come upon the first Christians, they were given the ability to speak in different languages, and so that no matter who the people were, they could all worship together.” PeopleTryingFirstsKindSaidDifferentMatterChristianTogetherMovingSpiritSpeakLanguageGivenAbilityTalkingOughtHolyWorshipStressScriptureHoly SpiritCongregationMultiracialPentecostDifferent LanguagesAbility To Speak Author:Michael Emerson
“When you put biblical truth to the songs used in churches, you'll have the congregation leave singing the sermon. You'll have God's thoughts, things that are God-breathed, stuck in their heads. It's sad to think about a really catchy tune paired up with bad theology because that could, honestly, do a lot of damage in church.” ThinkingUsedSongChurchWorshipSingingHonestlyStuckTheologyDamageTunesBiblicalSermonsCongregationCatchyBiblical Truth Author:Laura Story
“There are entire congregations who worship praise and praise worship but who have not yet learned to praise and worship God in Jesus Christ.” JesusChristWorshipJesus ChristPraiseCongregationWorship GodPraise And Worship Author:Judson Cornwall