Against themed services

I am sure they are well meant. But I have come to have grave misgivings about what I call (a bit of Miranda’s mother there) ‘themed services’.

The regular columnists for en communicate via a WhatsApp group where we share what we have in mind to write about for the next issue. When I mentioned ‘themed services’ one contributor said that he did not understand what I was talking about. So I had better explain.

A themed service is a church service where not just the final hymn, but all the hymns, prayers and readings are chosen so as to fit in with the main thrust of the sermon.

If, for example, the Bible teaching is from Romans 3:21-31 then all the hymns would be about faith, the cross or justification and the prayers would centre on the same truths. Or if the teaching was from Acts 12 concerning Peter’s miraculous escape from prison and the crucial part played by church prayer, then those who plan the service would choose all the hymns and even the children’s talk to fit with that flow of thought.

It seems like a good idea. Why have I become sceptical? Here are a number of reasons.

Audience?

Setting a church service up like this tends to make the whole thing seem much more like a performance (as found in a theatre) than worship. Everything must be choreographed, scripted and dovetailed seamlessly for the punters. The ‘buzz’ you find among those gathering before such services can be more like that found in the auditorium before a ‘Prom’ or a rock concert. The brothers and sisters are looking forward to the wonderful music and the expertly crafted sermon from the ‘performers’. This doesn’t seem quite right.

I was helped by an Anglican leader who put it like this: ‘Those on the platform are not the performers, neither is the congregation the audience. The congregation are the performers, and God is the audience, as He looks on our hearts. Those at the front are simply there to prompt and aid our worship.’

Pastoral?

Our services need to be pastoral. Different people come to church in very different places spiritually – some in need of encouragement, some in need of warning. Others are likely to be experiencing a variety of situations – some happy, some really sad. And the particular theme of the sermon (series), around which everything is built – while doubtless excellent in many ways – might not be where people need help. They go away disappointed.

This may be okay now and then, but after a while people in the congregation become spiritually dry. (Yes, they should be keeping going spiritually through their daily devotions, but frequently it is a fact that devotions don’t really happen for today’s busy people).

Time?

Those planning themed services can spend a long time over ‘getting it right’. Sometimes pastors and worship leaders can simply ‘overthink’ the whole thing. I have spoken to young pastors who feel they must give a whole afternoon or even a day to trawling the Internet in order to find the most up-todate song which fits the theme. There is nothing wrong with spending time over getting ready for a service, but I wonder if this kind of activity is the best use of time. Perhaps the same amount of time would be better used in prayer for the various people who attend and for the power of the Holy Spirit to fall upon the service.

Quenching the Spirit?

The church is nothing without the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is like wind and fire. This raises a question concerning over-organisation. Certainly in Acts the church had to run to keep up with the unexpected developments that the Lord brought about. Years ago, Iain Murray wrote: ‘When times are spiritually dull and lifeless we may expect to find things perfectly arranged and organised in the church. It is not difficult to predict what will happen for weeks on end as … the calendar is settled months in advance. How different when the gospel is working like a fire.’

There may be times when a themed service is helpful – Christmas or whatever. But generally must we stick so completely to a theme? Would it matter so much if, when we are preaching on the cross, we also had a hymn or two about guidance, or God’s Providence, which might be where many of those in the congregation need encouragement? And is there a danger that a rigidity in our approach to our services might actually quench the Spirit?