Worship Wars?

Posted by peavyhouse on June 23, 2006 · 2 Comments 

  

Recently I was given a bulletin insert to read from a church member here at TBC.  The article outlined the recent decision by BBN(Bible Broadcasting Network) to stop airing Dr. David Jeremiah’s television program.  Its premise was that the BBN made a correct decision because we should not allow the use of musical styles outside mid-eighteenth to nineteenth century hymnody.  This church’s pastor believes that by having music in the church that is similar to the culture’s musical taste is sinful and leads toward worldliness.   

There are a few reasons why this line of thinking bothers me.  The first, is that it pits the church against culture.  I don’t believe the picture the New Testament paints for us of what it means to live as Christians, “Little Christs,”  matches with this line of thinking.  The church is placed under God into culture.  Most of us can readily understand why we would not sing eighteenth century hymns to natives in the jungles of Africa.  That would be ridiculous for a variety of reason, all of which relate back to culture.  For example, the people don’t speak English, but the language native to their culture.  The jungles of Africa are not filled with pipe organs and pianos for a reason, these are not the instruments of the culture.  To make my point clear, I would not lead a jungle people in the singing of a modern worship song either, but would choose a song style native to the culture with which I was involved.  As missionaries to our culture, we are called to take the Gospel to them where they are.  Hymns of the past reached people because the music was familiar to them, it was a part of their culture.  the culture of today, particularly the culture of central Florida, is very different than it was fifty, twenty, or even five years ago.  Our call is to faithfully translate the Gospel into this culture.   

Overall, the article reminded me of this quote I read on another pastor's blog recently objecting to new trends in worship music:"'There are several reasons for opposing it. One, it's too new. Two, it's often worldly….The new Christian music is not as pleasant as the more established style. Because there are so many new songs you can't learn them all. It puts too much emphasis on instrumental music rather than godly lyrics. This new music creates disturbances making people act indecently and disorderly. The preceding generation got along without it. It's a money-making scheme, and some of these new music upstarts are lewd and loose."You are probably assuming this is an attack on the pop worship leaders of recent years, or the well worn out argument against a guitar or drum kit at center stage.  Instead, it is a criticism from a pastor in 1723 against Isaac Watts.  Watts is seen by many as the father of North American hymnody, and has written hundreds of songs, including "I Sing The Mighty Power Of God, and "O God Our Help In Ages Past".

I feel we have made great strides as Christians in the “worship wars” of recent years, and that our church, in particularly, is growing to trust the leadership in the area of praise and worship, but I have this aching suspicion that these tensions will always be with us.  We must not put restriction in places the Bible does not put them.  I struggle with this in my life, but am determined to live faithfully to the call God has placed on my life to follow Him. My prayer is that we a church (TBC), will hold each other accountable to remain biblical and theologically conservative, yet culturally flexible maybe even liberal. Let us be critical of bad theology, but support of generational differences (even if we don’t agree with the direction). 

grace & peace,

matt

Filed under Church, Missional, Missional Church, Missional Living, Praise and Worship, Worship