Worship Frames: How We Shape and Interpret Our Experience of God

by Deborah J. Kapp

Worship is a congregation's most important practice. In worship we encounter God's gracious presence and come face to face with the frailty, goodness, and potential of our humanity. We are comforted, corrected, forgiven, healed, challenged, and sometimes even disturbed by the divine and one another. We are morally formed and sent by God into the world. The mysterious and uncontrollable work of the Spirit is at the heart of all genuine worship. Yet worshipers and leaders work hard to worship. In Worship Frames, Deborah Kapp explores how the sociological concept of frames can help us better understand the social and human dynamics of worship. Frames are interpretive schemes or ideas that help people locate, understand, and identify their experiences. For example, opening a service with a period of silent reflection followed by a sober hymn is a different frame for worship than opening with congregational announcements and a loud call-and-response session. She has found that this theory has opened her eyes to dynamics in worship she had not noticed before and best helped her understand differences in worship styles. By understanding our frames, we can learn how to reframe worship to give fuller and richer expression to our faith. Kapp shares her insights with congregations and worship leaders so they will gain new perspectives from which to analyze and design worship, and deepen their perceptions about the role worship plays in faith communities.

129 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Rev. Sharon Wylie]

At 112 pages, this book is an easy read, and could easily be summarized in an in-depth article, or in a chapter in a broader book on worship. The concepts present here haven't transformed how I think about worship, but they do provide a useful new lens and language for thinking about my order of service.

I wouldn't call this a "must read," but I think it is a helpful book if you have a pretty solid worship foundation and are looking to make refinements. There is also good conversation here about worship "style" (traditional, contemporary, etc.) and, perhaps most importantly, how to effect change without upsetting your congregation too much.