What does it take to be faithful amidst a culture of traditionalism?

I visited a church today to present a plaque commemorating their 100th anniversary. This is a once rural church now on the edge of suburbia. The current pastor is in his eighteenth year as pastor, quite long for Southern Baptists. I had the privilege of preaching in this church a number of times back in the 1980's. Then it was a rural church, about 8-10 miles outside of town, with a very traditional approach toward doing church, in worship, ministry, and governance. Those who were there in the mid 1980's would not recognize the church today. They worship in a newer building addition that doubles as a fellowship hall. (A Spanish-speaking church meets at the same time in the old sanctuary.)

When I visited the church a couple of years ago, the worship was what one would classify as contemporary, meaning to most people that the music was of a more contemporary nature, led by a praise band. Today, there was no praise band, and the worship through music was led by an evangelist and his family. Of course the service was different from the usual ones. This week there was actually a printed order of service (remember, it's the 100th Anniversary service).
But normally, there is no printed order of worship. In fact, for the past year, since the worship leader left, there has been no hard and fast structure for worship (music) leadership. They even had a period when they intentionally worshipped without music. Now, a team of musicians gets together on Wednesday evenings to worship together. From that joint worship experience, they determine what is meaningful and what and who sound right together, and plan the worship experience for Sunday. Members are encouraged to offer themselves and their inner expressions to God in whatever form that may take- in art, or writing or music. The halls are lined with worship expressions toward God in the form of art and writings. Today throughout the service, a young female artist was offering her expression of worship through a painting.
On other occasions there may be a dramatic presentation, or some other offering to God.

Not only is the overall style somewhat serendipitous, but the actual arrangement of the worship center has changed. Previously the chairs were all lined up in straight but wide rows. No one was far from the front. Now the chairs are in a U shape, with the ROUND communion table in the center of the U. Each week, the congregation holds communion, sometimes in the midst of the service and sometimes at the end. Individuals and families come to the table, select a piece of the unleavened bread, dip it in the grape juice (we are conservative Southern Baptists, remember), and then gather in families or different groups for a prayer together as they partake. This structural transformation, the pastor says, has helped lead to the subsequent changing of the attitudes and approaches of the worshippers. Now the emphasis connects them with one another, and encourages each worshipper to offer his or her personal worship to the Lord.

Something particular struck me in what the pastor said during the sermon this morning. He recalled an experience at a previous church when God had been faithful, against all odds, and had provided finances for a church van. A second similar need and experience at this church had occurred, but having made it through once before, the pastor just proceeded. His revelation from God came like these words(and I paraphrase), "I covered you this time, but don't presume on me again. Seek my will and listen to me." Well, I was excited to worship in a church where the primary focus seems to be on listening to God and following God, even if it means doing things in a totally different way.

Now, back to my first question, "What does it take to be faithful amidst a culture of traditionalism?" First, it takes genuine encounter with God and willingness to hear what the Spirit says. "He who has hears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Second, it takes a commitment to be faithful to God no matter what. This requires both faith and the courage to venture out. I believe faith supplies the courage. Third, it requires an acknowlegement that our traditional ways of doing church, while they may have somewhat of a biblical basis, are human constructs for the purpose or comfort of those who construct them. We have to get back to the underlying purpose behind what we are doing, and ask if there is a better way to connect us with God in worship.

One primary problem with our traditional ways of worship is the limited genuine interaction we have with one another. We are set up to be primarily spectators, and most of us are wondering what comes next and when are we going to be through. After all, isn't worship supposed to connect us to God and then to one another to prepare us for being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world?