NextGenKent

I was recently reminded while reading Marva Dawn's book, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down , about a phrase I heard in a church back in 1991. It was the first time I heard it and saw it demonstrated that summer in a church in Greenwood. The children's pastor's message for the 'children's chat' was how they (we) are the actors in worship and God is the audience. He posited the question, "When you leave today, be sure to ask your parents on the way home, 'How did we do today?'" as a way to remind them (us) that God is the audience alone and we all are the performers (not just those on stage). Neat illustration? Yes. Corrective? Sure. But there was always something it that didn't seem to sit well with me. And Marva's words (p153) helped me to reflect on why. Marva: "...the congregation being the actors who worship God and God being the Actor who reveals himself in that worship to his people..." Yes, God is involved in t...