Swedish Lutheran Church Hosts 'Techno Mass'

I shouldn't be surprised or shocked anymore.  When it comes to worship many churches assume that the form and music of worship remain neutral, and therefore subject it to whatever manipulation will attract the next crowd.  The Church of All Saints in Stockholm has simply applied that to the latest trend among the young, celebrating the upsurge of numbers while oblivious to the injury they inflicted on the spiritual life of God's people.  Take a moment and read the Associated Press article here reprinted by the Washington Post and judge for yourself.

Even the writer noted early on that the so-called service resembled a "disco at a youth center" more than worship. With increasingly fewer worshipers the church felt it needed to so something to attract the younger crowd and turned to the tools of the entertainment industry. That the participants were entertained is a given.  "It was an awesome feeling," said one.  “It was superfun, it was really kicking..." said another.  Yet did these young people have any sense of coming into the holy presence of God, humbly contrite for their sins, needful of the healing power of forgiveness in Christ?  Can't say.  No one apparently thought to offer that comment for the writer to copy.

As churches continue to play around with worship and mold it into something more attractive, they will reap exactly what they sow, to borrow a biblical metaphor.  They will fill pews, to be sure, but they will not gain worshipers cognizant of the real miracle in their midst, namely the true presence of Christ with gifts of grace.  They will only walk away with hyped up emotions always looking for more.  How sad. 

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