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The “Experience Economy” in Worship
Many churches today treat worship like a product designed to deliver a feeling. In this Weekly Watch, Dave Jenkins
contrasts the “experience economy” with biblical worship Word-saturated, Spirit-empowered, Christ-exalting, offered with reverence and awe.
Show Summary
We live in a culture that sells experiences. When churches import that mindset, worship can drift toward hype,
production value, and emotional manipulation. Scripture, however, calls us to worship in spirit and truth
(John 4:24)—with God’s Word central, Christ exalted, and the Spirit applying truth to the heart.
Key Scriptures
- John 4:24; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 12:28–29
- Romans 12:1; Acts 2:42; Romans 10:17; 1 Timothy 4:13
Outline
- Defining the “experience economy” in worship
- Worship by the Book: Spirit and Truth; Word-filled singing; Reverence and awe
- Four dangers: shallow faith, addiction to hype, glory shift, neglect of the Word
- What true worship produces (Rom 12:1; Acts 2:42)
- Recovering Word-shaped worship: Scripture read, prayed, sung, and preached
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The Weekly Watch
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
