Worship and a Broadcast Sermon
John Meunier asks if he can be replaced by a video screen. It’s a good question, considering the number of megachurches that are broadcasting a sermon to multiple locations.
I have several objections to the idea of a broadcast sermon:
- I think our worship services are already too far from the idea of active participation. I’d like us to move toward 1 Corinthians 14 worship. (See my post The Problem with 1 Corinthians 14 Worship.
- Broadcasting one man’s (or one woman’s) message to multiple locations tends to build the false notion that only the professionals are qualified to share the Word. What an opportunity having multiple campuses would provide to train up more Christians to share?
- Using the one sermon in multiple locations elevates the authority of one person over the body.
- The very idea of one church with multiple campuses takes us away from a style of authority that treats the body of Christ as a single body, not as a large passive audience to be entertained or informed.
I think every worship service should involve active participation and personal contact. I can watch or hear great sermons from great preachers on my television if I want.
And while we’re at it, we need a service long enough to cover the ground, which includes hearing the scripture itself (not just someone’s discussion of it), prayer, interaction, discussion, learning discipleship, and preparing to take the message outside during the week.
Related articles
- Can I be replaced by a video screen? (johnmeunier.wordpress.com)
- Worship – Who Gets to Play? (intheperputualruins.wordpress.com)
