Arguing over Worship

I have been told that many years ago my family, who lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, had somewhat of a “tradition” of getting together on a regular basis for meals, fellowship and “discussions.” These discussions covered various topics but often gravitated to differing worship practices. Furthermore, these discussions often became quite heated. Part of the family belonged to Restoration Christian Churches, which use musical instruments, while the other family members belonged to the Non-Instrumental Church of Christ.

Voices were raised, debates argued and children cowered, or at least watched from a distance in wonder and awe. For these children knew the outcome of these debates. The same outcome always “came.” At the end of all discussions and debates, the opposing family members would agree to disagree, hug, kiss and part ways as though no disagreement had taken place!

Cornelius Plantinga says, “Worship is worth arguing about, not least because it is an important aspect of our relationship with God, and because it lies at the crossing between the church and the world, or ‘Christ and culture.’” This “crossing” or intersection is where many worship arguments find their source; from form and structure to content and, most significantly, style. Not that style is actually the most important aspect of worship. In fact, style is the one negotiable element of worship, according to Robert Webber. However, style finds itself squarely planted in the middle of that crossroad. The church is still the church; Christ is still preeminent. Neither she nor He has changed. However, the world and culture has changed and continues to change dramatically!

Many arguments have been made in support of the idea that much of the evangelical church has sacrificed content and structure in order to allow style to take first place in worship priorities. Unfortunately, much of the existing evidence shows this to be true. My question to this is, “Does is it have to be this way?” Is it possible that the church has been duped into believing, that since the “mega-churches” have successfully grown and have exciting worship and arts ministries, all churches can do the same, as well? In our entertainment driven society, have we missed the point that bigger and flashier does not necessarily equal theologically sound worship?

Cornelius Plantinga makes an important observation: “When television-saturated worshipers attend their local churches or wonder how to draw secular seekers there, it’s therefore not the songs of Zion they want but the songs of Babylon and Hollywood – or something like them.” The truth is that many worship leaders/bands have shot themselves in the proverbial foot by offering to their congregations the equivalent of showy, shallow campfire choruses when all the while; the congregation; believers and seekers, alike are looking for a deep, meaningful encounter with God!

Am I saying that we are wrong to engage culture throught worship in a relevant manner? Of course not! However, I know that there is a fine line between engaging culture and selling our souls! This path can become a slippery slope to a watery, mushy, impotent gospel that makes demands of no one and becomes cross-less. A gospel without a cross becomes a faith without sacrifice.

Okay, I've ranted long enough, but I believe this issue is at the center of virtually every discussion concerning worship practices and styles. I'll be coming back to this topic. That's all for today!

The other evening I taught a class on the Lord's Supper and its significance within the corporate worship service. I mentioned previously that our particular fellowship of churches (Independent Christian) observes Communion weekly. I believe that this is an important practice that is supported in Acts chapter 2. However, I understand why so many congregations observe only monthly or even quarterly. From my own personal experience partaking weekly easily becomes common place or routine.


I could not begin to count the number of times that little or no thought was given to Communion in many of the worship services I have attended through the years. How many times have I heard a devotional thought leading to the Lord's Supper that had little or nothing to do with Christ's sacrifice? It is no wonder that without proper significance placed on this moment of remembrance that the pervasive attitude creeps dangerously close to being cavalier!


A few Sundays ago as I sat with my wife during the Communion time, a couple behind us carried on a conversation at almost normal conversation volume...during the entire Communion time! What was so important that had to be discussed at that time? What was more important than focusing on the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus?


I love how The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson paraphrases I Corinthians 11:26-29...

What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and
every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death
of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the
Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of
“remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart,
come to this meal in holy awe.If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care)
about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the
risk of serious consequences.

So, I taught a class on the Lord's Supper the other night....hopefully I helped a few people catch its signifcance.

Who are we pleasing anyway?

I am still considering this whole idea of worship being successful or unsuccessful. I guess in a purely innocent way a successful worship service would be one in which the worshiper...worshiped!

Why does that seem so naive?

Probably because we so often measure the success or failure of worship by how well the praise band played or vocalists sang, by how well the preacher delivered the sermon or even by how many accept Jesus at the invitation. We tend to look at the function and forget that there is so much more. We forget that in reality, worship is not about the externals of style and taste, but about our response to how God redeemed us from our sinful lives.

There is danger in listening to the whims and wishes of "what everyone else is doing!" Plantinga refers to "...the songs of Babylon...or Hollywood...." In other words, we get too caught up in the popularity and the "show" and performance! And yet, to completely ignore the culture around us is equally dangerous...a balancing act. I have failed at the balance of being relevant and maintaining integrity more than I would like to admit.

Well, there is more to examine and say concerning this balancing of Christ and Culture in worship. There are so many ways to approach it and I'm a little uncertain how to do it. If anyone happens to check in on this site, feel free to share your thoughts. I think there are some right and wrong answers, but I believe that there is a lot of grey area in this discussion, as well.

Successful?

I've been contemplating the idea for this blog for some time and I begin it with much trepidation! I make no claim to have any answers to the many questions regarding worship and how we...do it.

Yesterday (Sunday), we began a new worship service that is sort of a combination of hymns and choruses. We used guitar, piano, bass, drums. I led (playing piano), with 3 other female vocals (the fact that they're female is irrelevant. It just happened that was who was scheduled to sing). On the whole, the service was executed very well. We sang, read scripture corporately, we took the Lord's Supper (this particular congregation observes the Lord's Supper weekly). The preacher preached, we sang an invitation and dismissed. That Sunday morning we held 2 other services, all three services completlely different, but all were executed without any major problems.

I'm asking myself today, "Was our service successful?" Of all the people with whom I have talked, no one has said, "Jim, that was the worst worship service I have ever experienced! Don't ever do that again!" Okay, I really didn't expect that. But the truth is, measuring the success of worship is subjective at best.

You know, there were some who told me they loved the service, there were others who expressed that it wasn't for them..."too jazzy" was one description from a dissatisfied "customer."

Well, I'm going to explore this idea over the next few days and see what I come up with. I'm open to suggestions.