Worship - Do It Well

For most of the years that I have been in the ministry, the church has participated in what many call “The Worship Wars”. They have gone on so long that to write or talk about them has become passé. Unfortunately I have discovered that not talking about it has not ratcheted down the conflict, it has only served to drive it underground. That sounds unhealthy to me. Honestly, I am thinking about the subject because I am presently preaching a series on worship.

Having grown up in a church that practiced traditional worship (Obviously, since that was the only worship available at the time.), I grew up loving traditional worship. I liked learning new songs (hymns) in a place where large groups of people who knew the songs were singing them. Thus, my early clumsy attempts, missed notes and mispronounced words, were hidden beneath the other’s voices. I loved the tunes and many of the words. Though I didn’t understand everything I sang, worship was a very positive emotional and spiritual experience for me. Those old guys wrote some pretty good tunes. Looking back, some of the theology wasn’t always the best but I loved the songs so much that I could live with a little shaky doctrine. Part of the reason I so love traditional worship is most likely because of the warm memories it brings to me. I am reminded of significant people and significant times in my life.

And then there is contemporary worship. I have been around and involved in contemporary worship since it showed up on the American scene in the late 60’s and the early 70’s. I have seen it morph and take a new form every decade since then. What was contemporary in 1974 is not contemporary in 2013. The contemporary worship music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s could be thought of as “traditional” contemporary. It is difficult to believe that contemporary Christian music has been around for almost half a century. I feel the same about contemporary worship as I do traditional. Some of the music is awesome and some of the words are awful. I especially dislike the Jesus is my boyfriend songs – the ones where you could take out the name Jesus and insert any guy’s name and have some kind of love song. That just gives me the willies. But some of the contemporary worship songs are some of the most meaningful, worshipful and beautiful songs I have ever sung. I am so happy that I didn’t force myself to choose between the two styles of music and cheat myself out of the joy of appreciating and being blessed by both.

It has become the common and accepted thinking that if one wants to attract a large crowd to a church worship service, one must offer a contemporary worship service. There is much going on out in the church world that refutes this thinking. A good example is The Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. It is a church less than twenty years old that began and was very successful while offering only traditional and somewhat liturgical worship services. It attracts several thousand worshippers each weekend.

Some think that contemporary worship attracts the young crowd. This, too, is a myth. I have attended contemporary worship services in all parts of the country and always find large numbers of “gray heads” in the congregation. And I often find many twenties and thirties attending traditional worship services.

I have been attending, leading, enjoying and studying worship for several decades. After all of my involvement, I have drawn some conclusions.

Here are my conclusions.

My Top Ten List of Worship Truth:

10. The worship service we are attracted to is based less on proper theology and more on musical taste.

9. One type of worship is not musically superior over the other.

8. One type of worship is not theologically superior over the other.

7. More people than we imagine like both types of worship.

6. To embrace only one type of worship is to cheat oneself out of some awesome worship experiences.

5. Just as in all aspects of living the Christian life, worship is not about you.

4. Remember that true worship has an audience of One – God.

3. Worship is not a spectator activity. We are to participate in worship – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually

2. Worship is a lifestyle, not a once a week activity.

1. Whatever kind of worship you do; do it well.

Several years ago, while serving our church as Director of Worship, my wife taught me the Purpose of Worship.

• God Is Glorified
• Christ is Exalted
• The Holy Spirit has the freedom to minister
• The Believer is encouraged in heart and mind
• The Unbeliever is drawn to Christ

As in all of the Christian life, following worship I want to hear God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Copyright © 2013, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved