Sometimes God leads us to worship in a tent in the parking lot...

Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. (1 Corinthians 11:13-16 ESV)

I have been contemplating worship service styles over these past few weeks.

The seminary here in Ft. Wayne is considered very conservative (by comparison not only to our sister seminary in St. Louis, but by most congregations across the country), particularly in theology, but also in worship style-- at least, that's my impression from attending chapel with other students who seem, at times, to be quite formatted during worship. I mean this not as derision, just as an observation.

My church experience has never really been formatted, per se. The LCMS congregation I joined with my wife and daughters in 1995 worshiped in a very comfortable blended style (robes and screens, the occasional drama in lieu of a sermon, etc.). This was the style I became familiar with (though before I became a card-carrying Evangelical Lutheran, we visited different churches with varying styles during our Navy time) and it was the style I participated in as a DELTO (now defunct distance-delivery seminary program) vicar for 3 years. The congregation we left behind when we relocated Indiana offered two blended services on Sunday, one a modified traditional early organ service, the second a standing-room-only contemporary praise worship with a full band...

Since beginning Greek three weeks ago, I regularly attend the morning chapel services that are abbreviated, but right out of the Lutheran Service Book (hymnal). I've mentioned here before that I very much DO enjoy the formatted liturgical worship of chapel (just about daily I encounter a hymn I'm singing for the first time-- and during the first week we sang one that moved me...it was kind of the hymn equivalent of the oboe in an orchestral piece...brooding, maybe, if such a word could describe a hymn). There's a place for it; there's a time to be reverent before the Lord; there's a purpose for every part of the Lutheran liturgy, which is beautiful.

But, for me, I would prefer to "vent" before God-- no with God-- in celebration of my faith, my church, my God. To present an offering of thanks to God for my faith in Christ. To sing songs that move me in a different way than the LSB hymns. I think such sentiment may go against the grain of the seminary's worship culture (and I would likely be at odds over this with many of my classmates).

This morning we visited a come-as-you-are LCMS congregation down the road a ways and thoroughly enjoyed the service-- the pastor is on vacation, but his fill-in was a guy I had exchanged emails with during my DELTO days when he was the director of distance education programs at the seminary. He still has a position at the seminary and he and his family are members. I chatted with him a little before and after the service-- his sermon on 1 Corinthians 19-27 was very good! We actually worshiped in a tent in the parking lot (see pic). It's a beautiful church and campus, but there was water damage and the floor inside is being repaired. Next week (we'll be going back) the service will be indoors.
We sang a form of the Nicene Creed (a new one on me) and offerings went to a "Joy Box" (rather than into a passed plate). There was Absolution (not corporate Confession), the sermon came back to the Cross at the end, and the songs were great (i.e. The Power of Your Love-- one of my favorites, Revelation Song, etc.). I'm not a fan of drive-by Communion, but you can't have everything...

I told my wife that I would like to be a pastor in such a church setting (however, all I know about this church is one tent service, so far)...

...but I have to get through Greek first. First mid-term on Tuesday!

P.S. As for formatted ("high church") worship, with its bowing, kneeling, and crossing, to each his own preference. But I still wonder about proscribed worship practices (both corporate and individual-- see Paul's quote at top). I wonder if God has a preference?