THE PROPER USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN WORSHIP
Written by: Dennis Bailey, Jr.
A chief, ongoing controversy in churches throughout the world today is regarding the proper use of technology in worship. Corporate Christian worship has occurred for almost two thousand years, so this debate in general is not new, although some of the specifics of the debate are new. Two thousand years of church history has created a rich tradition of corporate worship practices, some of which are based in the Bible, and others are not. Those who support the modernization of the worship process point to relevance as being a chief concern. The fact is that over the history of Christian worship, there have been massive changes that we often do not realize because our vantage point is relatively small. We no longer worship in small candlelit huts, or our neighbor’s home. The advent of electricity has revolutionized corporate Christian worship, as well as practically everything else, and the change has been so widely accepted that it is visible nearly everywhere in the United States today.
Therefore, when those who oppose the introduction of new technologies into the worship experience express their opinions, often lost in the argument are all of the technological advancements to this point, which we enjoy and do not think twice about them. Author Quentin Schultze makes the point that we often do not take the time to think about where our current technology, whatever level that may be, originated.[1] It is my opinion that the question to be answered is not, “Should we introduce technology into worship?” but rather, “What type of technology should we employ in worship?”
The Bible should be our first resource when dealing with any controversial issue. Although the Bible, the last letter of which was penned over 1,900 years ago and written by people who did not have experience with our twenty-first century technology, does provide some guidance that we can apply to our modern situations. We know this because the writer of the Book of the Hebrews wrote, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”[2] Additionally, the Apostle Paul referred to the worship experience when he wrote, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”[3] These two verses of Scripture will be the basis of the general rules for use of technology in worship, followed by some specific suggestions for the proper use of technology in worship.
Three general rules can be used to guide decisions regarding the use technology in worship. They are: 1) use technology in moderation, 2) avoid employing anything that detracts from God, and 3) the purpose of every use of technology should be able to be articulated by church authority.
Moderate use of technology seems to be the best tack to take, because this allows people to adapt to it over time. Oftentimes, when people are submerged in technology, human nature is such that several adverse things happen. One is that it can be confusing and it can overload the senses. Another effect is that the technology itself can become the star of the worship service, and there is risk that people can marvel at how high-tech the service is, but they may so preoccupied with technology that they may miss the message of God completely.
This leads into the next general rule, which is that we should avoid anything that detracts from the experience with God. Author Schultze writes that a spirit of worship should be one of reverence, gratitude, and praise; it should not resemble a marketing gimmick, or be focused on entertainment.[4] An acceptable use of technology would be using a computer with PowerPoint and a projector to display sermon notes to facilitate the congregation paying attention to key points of the sermon. However, a good thing can soon lose its desired effect if each new line that is displayed on the screen is too flashy, such as having each line bounce around the screen before settling into its place. When the means of the technology are, in a sense, too good, the people watching will often fixate on that and less on the words and meaning being conveyed to them. This again hearkens back to the Apostle Paul who instructed the church to act in a “fitting and orderly way.” Whenever we do not follow the Apostle’s advice, people will lose interest.
The last general rule is that those who suggest and introduce technology must be able to explain why the implementation is a good idea and how the use fosters and grows the congregation’s relationship with God. If we cannot explain why we are using it, then should we use it at all? For instance, if a church adds a projector and a screen in order to show the song lyrics for all to see, there should be available to the congregation an immediate explanation for this upgrade. Acceptable explanations could be, “Because there are several in the congregation who have difficulty reading small print in the hymnals, the large display facilitates worship to that end,” or, “We wish to introduce new songs in our service, so instead of spending money and time on the reproduction of lyrics on paper for the congregation this will save the church in the long run despite the initial expense.”
This leads into the first specific use of technology, using a computer, a projector, and a screen. It should be noted that before investing time and money into such a system, which is increasingly inexpensive, the church must have users who are knowledgeable with both the hardware and the software. It would be a waste of money to invest in such a system and have it sit useless because no one can operate it effectively. The additional loss would be of the dignity of the church, as well, as the decision-makers would certainly be labeled poor stewards of church funds.
The benefits of a computer and projector are several. One, mentioned prior, is to facilitate those in the congregation who have difficulty in reading small print. Even if songs are song from a hymnal, the print may be too small for those hard of seeing to follow, so the congregation can have the choice whether to use their hymnal or look ahead at the screen for the lyrics.
A projector is beneficial in other ways, too. The pastor can project images on the screen during the sermon that illustrates points in the sermon. For example, pictures of images that are specifically described in the Bible could be displayed to make the complicated simple. Such examples are pictures of the Ark of the Covenant, simple maps of the routes traveled by characters in the message, or Noah’s ark. Also, short video clips can be used, such as messages from church missionaries. In all of these situations, the usage need not and should not be flashy, yet they can easily add to the understanding of the context of the message.
Also previously mentioned, but deserving of more detail, is projecting a sermon outline on a screen. I have found that this is a good use of technology, in that it captures the attention of the congregation. Instead of minds wandering elsewhere, a visual aide can hold attention much more easily than the spoken word can.
There are three rules concerning this technological use. The first is that the words should be large enough to be easily read from anywhere in the sanctuary. The second is that we should avoid too much information at one time, which can overload the minds of the congregation. Last, be cognizant of allowing sufficient time for the congregation to read what is displayed. Nothing can be more frustrating than watching a business presentation where the speaker speeds through the slides, and the reader has no sooner processed the previous slide and the next point is already being discussed. The same applies in a corporate worship experience.
Schultze speaks of situations that he has seen where important, beautiful, and historical church architecture is blocked with screens, all in the name of implementing high-tech worship. The logistics of implementing these types of upgrades to the building are important considerations, and must be taken into account before construction takes place.
Another interesting use of a projector is to display Christian artwork. Instead of purchasing a full-size painting of The Last Supper, the image could be downloaded and displayed on a screen. Seasonal artwork can be handled in this manner, which provides a change of pace for the congregation, so that they do not tire of the same images week after week. Also, if there are any artists in the congregation, their images can be scanned and displayed for the viewing pleasure of the congregation.
This, according to Schultze, is the epitome of using technology in worship – creation.[5] If the congregation has the door to the arts opened to them, they may seize the opportunity and the whole congregation can benefit from their actions, whether it is a painting or a written or recorded song.
Image projectors seem to have many applications in a church setting, but microphones and sound systems can be very beneficial. Especially in larger sanctuaries, it is difficult to hear one person speak, so amplification is essential. The natural acoustics must be considered before implementation, and the placement of speakers and wiring must be considered to provide the best audio possible, and to avoid that high-pitched squealing sound called feedback.
A sound system installed correctly can be used for worship music, using microphones and electric instruments such as guitars. A Sunday worship service should not be confused with a Christian rock concert, since the Sunday worship service should be exclusively geared towards directing the attention of the congregation towards God, and not towards the artists on stage.
Every church in America displays and utilizes some degree of technology. When considering new uses, it is imperative to prayerfully consider the use and the intent for implementing it. We need to answer the question, “Why do we want to implement this technology?” If our answer is similar to, “Because we are losing people and membership to the high-tech church down the road,” then maybe there are deeper issues that need attention. In this situation, investing in and installing the newest technology could possibly be a waste of time and money because it is not a good thing if superficiality draws people to church. It is just a matter of time until another church eclipses with newer technology, and what once was new and hip is now obsolete. We can learn a lot from what Schultze writes, “Fools with tools are still fools.”[6]
It is the opinion of the author that the worst reason for rejecting the implementation of new technology is because, “We’ve always done it this way.” In reference to the opening paragraph, would we reject electricity because we’ve never had it previously? Certainly not! If the reasons are more similar to issues of preference and of economics, then these are issues that can be addressed and considered. If we want to glorify God then we should want to do whatever is humanly possible to that end. Even Jesus said, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing,”[7] and we should feel likewise. When we implement technology for reasons other than for the glory of God, we are often glorifying ourselves, which means nothing. Psalm 69:30 also says, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”[8] The writer of the Psalm did not put restrictions on how this should be done, so we are free to use whatever technology we have available to us.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Various Scripture references taken from www.biblegateway.com
Schultze, Quentin. High-Tech Worship? Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Schultze, Quentin. High-Tech Worship? (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 73.
[2] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%2013:8&version=NIV [accessed March 16, 2013].
[3] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor%2014:40&version=NIV [accessed March 16, 2013].
[4] Schultze, Quentin, 38.
[5] Schultze, 46.
[6] Schultze, 85.
[7] http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=glorify+god&qs_version=NIV [accessed March 16, 2013].
[8] http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=glorify+god&qs_version=NIV [accessed March 16, 2013].
