The first blog in this series was more or less dealing with music as a whole. This time around I want to get more specific. I'm not just talking about Christian music, I want to break it down a step further. I want to talk about "praise and worship" or even simpler the music we sing in our churches during corporate worship on Sunday mornings. Prayer time, study of God's word and maybe most importantly obeying God's word are all forms of worship. However for the purposes of this blog when I use the word worship, I will be referring to the time, activities and music that we do on Sunday morning during corporate worship.
In today's church culture there are two predominate type of worship, traditional and contemporary. Traditional is usually characterized by the singing of hymns played on a piano and sometimes, though not so much any more an organ. Contemporary service usually have a full band, guitars, drums etc., while the songs are newer and in different styles and tempos, with worshipers often clapping hands to the beat of the songs or lifting hands in praise.
While the two styles are so different there has been much argument over which was correct way to worship. I've attended churches where both types of worship take place and I know good God fearing leaders from both camps, so is it possible both are right?
Traditionalist often make the argument that the traditional style of music isn't based in scripture. I've heard it said they hymns say all that needs to be said and these new songs are more about the person singing it than to the One they should be singing it too. Maybe some, but I've found just as much scriptural references in contemporary worship that traditional. "Everlasting God" is pretty much Isaiah 40:31 put to song. "Revelation Song" takes us through John's Revelation in music almost as beautiful as the writing. "Trading My Sorrows" shows the joy of the words written in 2 Corinthians 4:8. Scripture is in lots of songs, the problem is do we know scripture when we hear it? (Different blog for a different time.)
The other prevalent complaint I've heard traditionalist levy against contemporary worshipers is that they are "putting on a show". To make that claim, in my humble opinion is to go down a dangerous slope. In John 4:24 Jesus tells us to worship in spirit and truth, or in other words with a pure heart. The clapping and faster tempo music to most is an expression of joy, freedom, and celebration in the new life and liberty of sin found in Jesus Christ. The lifting of hands is symbol of submission. In Old Testament times one would come forward with both hands raised to show that they weren't holding a weapon while surrendering. This gesture today is show surrender to the will of God. Granted it's not for everyone and I don't see one who does as holier or more of a worshipper than another.
However, one of the comments I've heard from some contemporary churches, well a church I won't name, that gives other contemporary church a bad name is "Wow, that didn't feel like going to church, it felt like going to a rock concert!" The last secular rock concert I went to reeked of marijuana, had people throwing up or passing out from to much drinking and other things I won't mention as children could be reading this. (This will come back to haunt be in the third and final part of this series.) This is not what I want my church to be and if you hear this and think it's all contemporary churches, please think twice, this is more of a seeker friendly atmosphere that can be found within any type of church.
On the other hand traditional churches draw criticism from the contemporary churches as well. The main one I've heard is that the churches are "dry" or "dead" because of the hymns and lack of fast paced music. Again I disagree, maybe because of my up bringing, but I feel sometimes a hymn and no instruments could be just as powerful as an orchestra. "Amazing Grace" or "How Great Thou Art" can stand alone as far as how touching a worship song can be. That said, just singing these songs doesn't automatically bring holiness. If you've ever rolled your eyes when the song leader said let's sing all the stanzas instead of the first and fourth, you know what I'm talking about, I've done it too, it's hypocritical to say another group is "putting on a show".
In 1 Samuel 15:22 it says "to obey is better than to sacrifice". To me this means we are to worship the Lord not with our lips, but our hearts. It's not the songs that what we sing but the lives that life.
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