Two new books help us consider worship and mission for the global church.

This past December, I had the great joy and satisfaction of seeing released a two-volume set of books on global worship. For almost two years I have served as general editor for these publications, bringing together more than 100 writers from 20 countries to reflect on the general theme of Worship and Mission for the Global Church.

The purpose of these books is to help the people of God imagine what it would be like to use all the arts—music, drama, visuals—for God’s purposes in the life of the church. To explore this, we have included theological reflection, global case studies, practical tools and audiovisual resources to increase understanding of and appreciation for culturally appropriate arts in Christian worship and witness.

‘A Foretaste of Glory Divine’

C. Michael Hawn, a professor of global music at Perkins School of Theology, reminds us in chapter 132 (vol. 1) of the vision the Apostle John paints in Revelation 7:9-10. Here we see a multitude from all nations and languages, standing before the throne and singing, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” This passage, says Hawn, “points the church today to the end of time as we know it and offers a vision of what will be—a time when our praise will be universal and our diversity will reveal the splendor of the Creator’s imagination.”

The church in the West, observes Hawn, “tends to sing only songs that focus on our past (often under the label ‘traditional’) or songs that reflect the current culture (often under the label ‘contemporary’). But what songs might we sing to pull the hope of Revelation into the present? What songs might we sing that would give us glimpses of the gathering described in Revelation 7?” It is time for the 21st century church, declares Hawn, to “sing itself into a new understanding of what it means to be the church.”

A helpful tool for expanding our worship horizons

Anne Zaki, a global and multicultural resource specialist based in Cairo, Egypt, presents a helpful tool for us in thinking through and designing worship experiences with Revelation 7 in mind. In chapter 13 of the Handbook, Zaki sets forth four ways in which “Christian worship relates dynamically to culture” (These are more fully articulated in a document called “The Nairobi Statement of Worship and Culture,” developed in 1996 by the Lutheran World Federation Department for Theology and Studies.):

1. First, Christian worship should be transcultural—the same substance for everyone everywhere, beyond culture.

2. Second, it should be contextual—varying according to the local situation (both nature and culture).

3. Third, it should be countercultural—challenging what is contrary to the gospel in a given culture.

4. Fourth, it should be crosscultural—making possible sharing between different cultures.

Zaki calls these various features “an intricate four-step dance, where each dancer has certain steps to perform yet always remains conscious of a partner—now pulling together, now pushing apart, ever moving, avoiding a checkmate crisis.” To illustrate this interactive dynamic, Zaki suggests the diagram (at right) featuring the various components to consider in worship planning.

These are but a few reflections offered to readers as they seek to increase their awareness of God’s global family and begin more intentionally to “sing their way into God’s future.”

James R. Krabill is senior executive for global ministries for Mennonite Mission Network.