Last week, I used Adobe Photoshop to illustrate how people can be blinded by tech novelty. To recap, tech novelty is a self-coined phrase I use to describe:

Tech Novelty is:
Being blinded by the novelty of an exciting new technology and consequently misusing the technology for novelty’s sake. Misuse of technology may be caused by lack of training and/or from the inability to focus on anything except the novelty.

We are all susceptible to tech novelty. But perhaps the area of the church that is most prone to tech novelty is church worship. With so many innovations in audio, video, lights, music, and other resources, it is easy to become overwhelmed and blinded by the excitement of it all.

WORSHIP ENVIRONMENTS - A CHURCH EXAMPLE

Some describe the responsibility of a worship leader as:

Leading worship is the art of removing distractions.

Today’s worship leaders can choose from a wide variety of tools. And in the tools’ defense, most do offer some type of benefit if used correctly. Often by themselves, the tools are beneficial, but when gluttonously used all at once, they can overstimulate worshippers’ senses and distract them.

You need to understand the pros and cons of the individual tools you use, as well as, what happens when you mix a bunch of tools together. In The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture, Shane Hipps offers this warning:

An extensive use of video clips and short films in worship turns the congregation into an audience expecting to be entertained. When electronic media are taken to extremes, we become spectators of the gospel rather than participants in the kingdom of God.

When used correctly, I think modern worship environments can spark wonder and awe in the beauty of God’s creation much like the architecture of Gothic and Renaissance cathedrals did. Or when used correctly, worship environments can help, often through simplicity, guide worshipers’ attention to what truly matters - God. When used improperly, worship environments distract worshippers from God and even at times focus their “worship” on the worship leader, another church “celebrity,” or even technology itself.

Whether you like it or not, we are biologically wired to be influenced by our environment. What this means is your worship environment is a factor (not the factor) that influences if a person “feels” like worshipping. If you disagree, study color psychology and atmospherics and read Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, Underhill’s Why We Buy, and Rushkoff’s Coercion. The problem is many worship leaders do not realize how each worship element influences their environment.

Unfortunately, sometimes worship leaders become blinded by tech novelty. They use technology for novelty’s sake. Symptoms include stages overwhelmed with elaborate sets, strobe lights, ellipsoidals, subwoofers, high decibels, fog, guitar solos, jumbotrons, and projection screens with lyrics on top of fast paced video loops. I think there are exceptions, but in most cases, using all of these is more than the congregation can handle.

On a personal note…

Speaking personally, my best moments of worship are when I am alone driving. In the simplicity of the car, I find it easy to focus and own the words I am singing. In a church setting, I have also experienced incredible worship in almost every type of worship environment imaginable. But typically, the ideal environments are the ones that remove distractions while subtly using technology to create an intimate, relevant (in alignment with the tone/theme of worship songs), and often beautiful environment.

The key is to keep the worship environment subtle enough that it is not a distraction. Determine the sensory threshold of the congregation within the context of the songs being sung. For example, combining fast lights with fast video could be a dangerous mix.

As with Adobe Photoshop, do not get caught up in the excitement of what technology can do. Instead, focus on what will remove distractions and enhance the experience. Usually, it requires subtle finesse.

FOR DISCUSSION:
- These are my rough and imperfect thoughts. I want to hear what you think about tech novelty and worship.