Solomon's Porch member Jacob Nelson prays by placing one hand to his temple and the other on his heart. Many emerging churches have revived orthodox or medieval methods of prayer and meditation.
MINNEAPOLIS — It was "alt.worship" night at Bluer on a recent Saturday, and as a crowd of about 50 people, mostly in their 20's and 30's, milled around an open loft space filled with couches and candles, John Musick, the pastor, sat behind a drum set, accompanied by three other members of the musical "ministry team." Light fixtures dangled from exposed pipes; slides and videos of old stone crosses or statues flashed on two screens.
Mr. Musick, 37, wore a faded T-shirt and blue jeans and had mussed hair and a soul patch beneath his lower lip. Instead of his weekly sermon, he directed the congregants to make their way among three makeshift altars, each with a stack of cards carrying a prayer and a list of topics to think about.
"You're going to be put in a position where you have to think about your relationship with God," Mr. Musick said.
Bluer, which began four years ago as a young adult...
