Three Worship Styles

    I have received a number of comments lately about the PowerPoint graphics that illustrate my sermons.  Last week, one person recited all the points of the sermon correctly and credited the graphics for her accomplishments.  This was amazing since most people can’t remember the sermon when they leave the sanctuary never mind at a later time. I was honored.  A mother told me that her young daughter didn’t listen to the sermon but she just loved the pictures.  The fact that kids pay attention during an adult exercise called a sermon is a miracle in and of its self.  The mother’s statement was a compliment and I will keep the pictures coming.
    As I reflect on these two comments, I remembered a sociological breakdown of American society.  Sociologically, three groups of people make up the American public.  It should be stated that all three groups make up the membership of a congregation but one of the three groups usually dominates a congregation.
    The first group are Word People.  Word People are those who learn and are stimulated by the spoken and written word.  There are several ways to identify a word person.  Word People say “I think ...”  Word People believe that the most important part of worship is the sermon.  (I am not going to debate the theology of this statement except to say it is the way that it is.)  If Word People miss church, they may ask their friends, What did the pastor say in his/her sermon?  Word people sit in the back of the sanctuary.  Do you recognize anything Lutheran in this group?
    The second group are Visual People.  Visual People learn and are stimulated by visual images and color.  Visual People say, “I see ...”  Visual people are very aware of the color of the paraments and look to see if the flowers match well with the paraments.  When the colors do not match, they become upset.  They are very concerned with banners, stain glass windows, and colored bulletins that present the theme of the day.  In my last church, extreme Visual People said to me, “I really don’t listen to the sermon, I am spiritually moved by the way the sun comes through the stain glass window in the front of the church.  God speaks to me in all of those colors and reflections.
    The third group are Kinesthetic People.  Kinesthetic People say, “I feel ...”  They like movement.  Therefore, they sit in the front of the church to see what is happening.  They watch the movement of the pastor’s hands in prayer, offering the peace of the Lord, or in the elevation of the bread and wine of Holy Communion.  Kinesthetic People join the Drama Club or want to see liturgical dance as part of the service.
    Going back to the comments on the PowerPoint graphics in the first paragraph, those who made the comments have an insight into what is happening in the worship services.  The graphics increase the number of worshipers who can relate to the sermon.  Word People still have the written and spoken word.  Visual People now have graphics which match their style of seeing God’s word in a way that fits their personality.  And, I might add, Kinesthetic People have the movement in the liturgy that gives worship extra meaning for them.
    So let me ask, who are you?  Do you think, or do you see, or do you feel?  Probably some of each but one will be more dominant over the other two.  Does this help you to understand what you like best about church, about Epiphany, and about its worship?
Pastor Pete