WORSHIP WARS
(Tuesday) "What's the difference between a terrorist and a liturgist? You can negotiate with a terrorist."

Journalist Terry Mattingly says on his blog that of all the topics about which he writes, the worship wars -- that is, "music" wars -- continues to generate more controversy than anything else. But will it eventually be replaced by the plasma-screen wars? Who knows. Whatever direction the liturgical controversy takes it appears that George Barna has us pegged. Mattingly quotes one of his own columns.

"What we know about Americans is that we view ourselves first and foremost as consumers," said Barna. "Even when we walk in the doors of our churches what we tend to do is to wonder how can I get a good transaction out of this experience. ... So, what we know from our research is that Americans have made worship something that primarily we do for ourselves. When is it successful? When we feel good."