Over the past 15 years, the nature of worship has evolved and transformed into a celebration with a contemporary (and unfamiliar) style. From my perspective the presentation is unrecognizable, however, the flavor of the fellowship remains the same. The Church 2.0 transformation has yielded a positive impact during my two excursions to the Cambridge Vineyard Christian Fellowship .

Disclaimer

It is not important how much time has passed since I last stepped foot in a church with full intentions to attend service — what matters is that I was able to confidently reclaim an aspect of my lifestyle once laid to rest due to my own youthful stubbornness.

Beam Me Up Jesus!

When I stepped into the Cambridge Vineyard two weeks ago the first thing I noticed were the two flat-panel LCDs flanking the pulpit. Imagine that — television, in church. Looking around I noticed projection screens displaying welcome messages, remote cameras targeting the pulpit and technicians deftly working sound and light boards. In the blink of an eye, it seems that church has become firmly entrenched in high-technology.

Recline with the Lord

The last time I sat in a church the congregational seating were pews (a series of fixed, bench-like seats with backs and arranged in aisles). No longer are you required to endure the hard, wooden benches in this new era of fellowship and worship. Pews have been replaced in favor of more comfortable and semi-plush seats that are joined at the hip. As of now, church is my second favorite space to sit (my favorite is a local movie theater near Fenway Park).

JAM! In the Name of God

One aspect of church that I have always appreciated is the praise sessions that are led by the choir. This too has has evolved into something visibly more progressive, with the choir being replaced by a band. U2 — in church. The sounds of praise in Church 2.0 could easily be played on MTV, VH1, and BET while maintaining the uplifting vibe I would normally expect during worship.

Rock. Paper. Bible!

Football players wear helmets. Track stars wear spikes. When I go to church I carry my Bible. At least I used to. Pamphlets are now handed out that contain all the Bible passages that will be covered during the sermon (which includes fill-in-the-blank sections to keep you further engaged). It would also seem that today’s churches get down with The New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible rather than the King James Version (KJV). I still prefer the KJV — but in Church 2.0, metaphorically speaking, the king is dead.

Triple, Venti, Non-Fat Amen

The most salient change I have noticed is the continental breakfast that is available before service, including a wide variety of coffee options. Despite the fact that I do not drink coffee, it was almost enough for me to reconsider!

Church 2.0 has been an enjoyable adventure these past couple of weeks and I look forward to the positive changes this can have on my personal life. It has grown up and evolved as much as I have. How many aspects of your life can change as much as you and still have a solid impact on how you live?