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CONFERENCE DATES: JULY 19-21, 2012
DOWNLOAD THE DSYC2012 DIGITAL BROCHURE
For decades many Christians living under the yoke of mainline denominations viewed worship as nothing more than a stale, dry, religious exercise dominated by a dusty hymnal and grandma’s rusty organ. The songs available were written in an unfamiliar language and lacked an emotional connection with the current generation. It’s safe to say fundamentalism had all but choked out the spiritual experience of Christianity.
However, over the last few decades a worship renaissance has clearly taken place. Modern musical styles have been coupled with a contemporary message allowing a whole generation of believers a mode of spiritual expression absent to their predecessors. And yet, as liberating as the worship revival has proven to be, it’s apparent we live in a Christian culture that’s tragically moved to the other extreme.
For many people, worship has become a selfish quest for an emotional high, rather than what it should be, a privileged opportunity to exalt the name of God. Christians have substituted the pastor with a worship leader, replaced the pulpit with LED screens and fog machines, and supplanted time in God’s Word with an ipod full of worship albums. We have an entire generation of Christians pursing the experience of worship rather than the object of worship. Many Christians are nothing more than worship addicts pursuing the next spiritual fix instead of the Ultimate Fix to their spiritual condition. Is there any surprise we are seeing teenagers leave the modern, entertainment-based church in droves?
I believe a return to a Biblical understanding of true worship is needed now more than ever. There is no doubt worship can be expressed and enjoyed through songs and praise, but we should never forget worship’s greatest manifestation is a life being lived in pure, practical surrender to Jesus. Our entire 2012 conference will be geared towards exploring this idea of “Living a Life of Worship.”
Pastor Zach Adams
