The practice of pitching shaped me physically. Practices shape our lives. We are formed by practices physically, emotionally, cognitively, culturally and socially. Paying attention to the ways practices construct people's lives is important. Practices affect the ways we learn, the ways we bond, and the ways we dedicate ourselves.
Practices even impact our spirituality.
Technological changes since World War II have brought a new range of practices. These changes significantly affect the way the generations born since engage the world, approach issues of meaning, and develop commitment. The impact of this technology on popular culture is especially important. Computers, video games, virtual reality, innovations in popular culture and popular music, the emergence of rock concerts with radically new forms of performance - the pervasive use of image, of sound as beat, of movement and dance, and the use of all these together in large gatherings, constitute an entire range of new practices that play a fundamental role in the forming of people's lives. Consider four trends in practices and their implications for worship.