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Postmodern worship

Postmodern worship will be more open and transparent to unchurched people, and rather than clinging to old ways to doing church it will recognize the realities of a post-Christian society with evolving social structures.

More than one modality

In Church 2.0, face-to-face worship must be coordinated with online worship distribution. Church 2.0 doesn’t exist in just one modality — it’s not just Sunday morning worship and social hour (face-to-face worship), delivered to a relatively passive congregation by a small group of lay and professional leaders. Church 2.0 worship exists in a decentralized web of interactions. And the different modalities each deliver slightly different content. For example…

Regular Sunday morning worship with a sermon
Podcast with recorded sermon, reading, and one or two pieces of music from Sunday morning
Midweek video reflection with that week’s worship leader, a self-contained reflection that also leads in to the week’s worship service
Email version of the “Wayside Pulpit” delivers a quote to your email address each week, which relates to the upcoming sermon topic
An online sermon discussion group (forum or moderated email list)
Discussion group during social hour to help the preacher plan the next week’s worship service

…all of which relate to Sunday morning worship, but each of which addresses the topic of Sunday morning worship slightly differently.

More than one point of view

Postmodern worship will allow for multiple points of view during a worship service. More than one voice will speak (i.e., there will be more than one worship leader). Readings may present conflicting or differing points of view. The sermon will acknowledge more than one point of view.

Acknowledging the realities of a post-Christian society

Postmodern worship attempts to assume little or no religious knowledge on the part of newcomers. Thus, explanations become a key part of worship services. For example, someone who is unfamiliar with church may have no idea why congregational-type churches take an offering, so the worship leader might introduce the offering by saying:

As a part of the free church tradition, we accept no money from any governmental body, nor do we receive money from any ecclesiastical authority, in order to remain free to govern ourselves. In addition to their annual pledges, each week our members and friends may choose to give a small additional contribution of a dollar or two as a public witness that we are, and remain, a free church. If you are a visitor or a newcomer, you can let the collection plate pass with a clear conscience.

Thus postmodern worship should include basic instruction in the mechanics of worship, as well as in basic theological concepts (e.g., never assume that people know what you mean when you say "heaven"), etc.