A few weeks ago I talked about how Seacoast Church is doing the new postmodern stations thing [read “Postmodern Path” below.]

What’s so new about Communion and prayer? Here’s what: Seacoast’s version is optional and interactive.

The modern service order is linear – announcements, music, offertory, sermon – insert whatever – all in a straight chronological line. Everyone is experiencing the same thing, together, simultaneously.

The postmodern mind is different. Think of a teenager listening to his iPod, doing homework and watching TRL [MTV’s Total Request Live] all at the same time. This mindset can multitask, and in fact, would prefer to multitask. We live in an overstimulated age and a one-track mind can be boring.

While the Seacoast service is mainly linear, there is a portion that isn’t. During this portion of the service, a person can choose to do one, none, some or all of the following:

1. Participate in congregational singing.
2. Move to a station to receive Communion.
3. Move to a station to make an offering.
4. Move to a station and pray with leadership.
5. Move to a station, say a prayer and light a candle as a symbol of that prayer.
6. Move to a station, write a prayer concern [sin, healing, etc.] on a piece of paper and nail it to a cross.

Here’s how the current service order looks:

>5 minute countdown video.
>2 upbeat worship songs.
>welcome, announcements.
>sermon.
>3-4 songs or hymns, during which you may participate in any or all of the 6 options above.
>benediction

Church. It’s not just for sitting anymore.

See pics of the Seacoast Greenville stations at my new Flickr page:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/worshipideas/sets/

Postmodern Path blog entry:
https://worshipideas.blogspot.com/2006/07/postmodern-path.html

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