Worshipping without an Audience

When the worship band plays, the congregation is not an audience.  A book I've flipped through called "Sacred Space" discusses the various arrangements of (sacred) spaces and what the arrangement suggests about the intended purpose and activity that takes place in the space.

It's so easy today with the common arrangement with the worship leaders/band up front, facing the congregation of worshippers, to fall into the mindset that what we have here are performers with an audience.  (Even I, as I was praying for my worship-leading friend just now, caught myself calling the congregation the "audience".)

au·di·ence

ˈôdēəns/

noun

1. 1.

   the assembled spectators or listeners at a public event, such as a play, movie, concert, or meeting.

It's just too easy.  Maybe a better configuration would be sitting in a circle, or sprawled out like in someone's living room, and the person leading the worship activity (commonly music) could be anywhere convenient.

The congregation is not an audience, because the point of the activity of worship is engaging with the Lord, and that means everyone, not just a few people up front.  We all as a body lift our voices to the Lord and remember His worth and goodness and faithfulness, and no one is to be passive or left out.  

Hence, worship is not a spectator sport.

spec·ta·tor sport

noun

1. 1.

   a sport that many people find entertaining to watch.

Some people may, in fact, find worship entertaining to watch, but it is not a sport, according to my research.

sport

spôrt/

noun

1. 1.

   an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

...Yeah, the competition element is lacking.  



(At least, it's not really supposed to be there...)



I should correct my title, though, because we do always worship with an audience of at least 1.