Worship Glossary

The following is a guide to modern terms that I have come across in describing some of the recent phenomenon that is occurring in worship and liturgy. Since these are new and innovative things, they typically need new and innovative words to describe them. The intention is to add to the list as time and response permits. I invite additional glossary items, which I will include as time permits. Some may consider a term or two pejorative. Such is the state of the church.

Campfire Music

- Music that typically one should play, perform, or sing around the campfire at camp either acappella, or using a guitar, harmonica, or accordion.

Christmas Tree Liturgy

- A liturgy constructed using the historic liturgy as a framework. Parts are interchanged and deconstructed-reconstructed at the discretion of the worship leader. It is similar to Moving-Target Liturgy, but with more structure and consistency.

Entertainment Evangelism

- Attracting people to church using various entertainment, style formats, and media. The current "Ablaze" has elements of this. This is foreign to the design for worship that one finds in the book of Leviticus.

Happy-Clappy

- A style of music which encourages and is written for the clapping of hands and placing emphasis on a Theology of Glory.

Moving-Target Liturgy or Liturgy-of-the-Week

a liturgy that changes dramatically week to week, never giving the parishioner time or opportunity to learn or memorize it.
Comment: The usefulness of this "style or method" to a person as they age and their brain and memory fades, is minimal and sad. The long-term consequences are predictable and worrisome. One achieves short-term results with dire long-term consequences. One wonders if the results are worth the huge long-term costs in the end. I think not. As a pastor, I visit the older saints of my congregation, bringing to them Christ's body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. When their eyesight begins to fail, the memory of the liturgy, great hymns of the Christian church, and verses of the Bible are what sustain their faith as they approach the end of this temporal life. The removal of these buttresses of the faith puts the faith of the saint at risk. To reduce this risk, since eternal life and death issues are in the balance, we use the liturgy, the great hymns of the church and God's Holy Word to sustain the saints. Woe to those who would take the various inculcated forms of God's Word away from his people.

Disclaimer: Information on this page is for entertainment, informational, and instructional purposes only and is not to be construed as the doctrinal position of the author or of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Consult your Bible (Greek and Hebrew preferred, but the NASB or NKJV is acceptable) and the Book of Concord. The LCMS has not approved this information. Please notify the compiler if there are any verifiable inaccuracies presented.
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Last revised 6/18/2004 7:05 PM