Diversity in Worship

Diversity in Worship  

Eight years ago, I would have declined an invitation to write a blog on diversity in worship. I was not qualified.  

I grew up in a very homogenous church. Both my parents are Black and Pentecostal, so I was raised in a Black, Pentecostal Church; and quite frankly, I loved every bit of it. I loved the cultural nuances that distinguished our worship experience from others. I loved that we all knew when to jump to our feet and wave our hands, and although I may be the only one to ever say this, I loved being in service for a long time (we’re talking 4 hours minimum!). I loved being a part of the majority. I loved being understood. I loved my church.  

Then, eight years ago, everything changed. 

I fell in love and married a man who was raised in a much more diverse environment. Our entire relationship had been long-distance, so once we married, I moved to Chicago and started attending his church. It was a multicultural, non-denominational church, in the heart of Chicago, and completely different from what I was used to. 

The worship experience was much more subdued than my pentecostal upbringing, so I felt like a  fish out of water. I desperately wanted to find a church that felt familiar, but something (read:  The Holy Spirit) told me that it would be a mistake to leave. So I stayed. Despite my discomfort,  I committed to show up each Sunday and to be a little bit more like myself. One particular Sunday during worship, I opened my eyes and surveyed the sanctuary and couldn’t help but notice the uniqueness of the congregation. People of African descent, Asian descent, European descent, and others were worshiping the same God, in the same building, at the same time, but in different ways. It moved me to tears. It was then that I realized I was experiencing heaven on earth. 

The Biblical Model  

Once I considered John’s vision in Revelation, I began to wonder why multicultural congregations are such an anomaly. As Bible-believing Christians, you’d think we would do whatever we could to replicate “the great multitude…from every nation…standing before the throne…with palm branches in their hands” (Rev 7:9-10). But I guess most people, much like me, prefer the familiar. 

Interestingly enough, familiarity has been a foreign concept since the Church began. Acts 2 describes the birth of the Church as an event where people from the same region spoke various languages unknown to them. When others from surrounding regions heard nonnatives speaking their language, they were confounded. This miracle clearly indicated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, just as the prophet Joel foretold. But out of all the ways, The Holy Spirit could have come, why would God choose to be praised in multiple languages? This must have been so uncomfortable. Nothing like this had happened since Genesis 11! But unlike the chaos of The Tower of Babel, this time, diversity did not cause confusion; rather a beautiful display of divine unity.

New Diversities  

Eight years ago, diversity in worship was a foreign concept to me, but today I’m a diversity advocate! The multicultural church that once made me feel so uncomfortable became my home. I eventually joined the staff as a worship leader and learned how to be my full self while holding space for others to do the same. It was there that I became aware of the many ways diversity can be accomplished. Although its definition is almost always used to describe a variety of ethnicities, diversity also considers gender, age, physical abilities, socioeconomics, education,  and even salvation stories. 

Worshiping in a diverse congregation forced me to not only acknowledge the vastness of the Church but to acknowledge the vastness of God. Although the person beside me may not clap as loudly as I do, say “amen” after the preacher makes a good point, or like the songs that move me,  they are a member of the Body of Christ, and therefore, a reflection of God. They reflect the magnitude of God’s love, which knows no boundary (man-made or otherwise). They reflect the limitless power of God that can transform the heart of any willing person, and they reflect the diversity within the Godhead, consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

So to the leaders of the Church, I urge you: to reject the familiar, embrace discomfort, and remember how the Church began and how the Church will end. This is when our worship services won’t only refer to heaven, but give us a glimpse inside.