Glimpses of the New Creation: Worship and the Formative Power of the Arts

The church building is a prime aid, or a prime hindrance, to the building up of the Body of Christ. And what the building says so often shouts something entirely contrary to all that we are seeking to express through the liturgy. And the building will always win—unless and until we can make it say something else.

However the art is experienced, the presumption of this book is that the arts in worship ought to be freed to form the church in their own ways, though not on their own terms.

“the arts in worship ought to be freed to form the church in their own ways though not on their own terms.”

12. To serve is to be free. One of the prayers from the Book of Common Prayer says that to serve God is “perfect freedom.” While this may seem counterintuitive in our contemporary age, we see its truth beautifully played out in the life of Jesus, who came among us as a servant. In his generous and glad service to the world, which he performed in equall