Every so often I write an article that really upsets traditionalists. A few months ago I posted one over at WorshipIdeas.com, basically saying that since contemporary worship is the norm these days the traditionalists are panicking. It's all about control and they're no longer the majority. You can imagine the hate emails I'm getting!
I always hear sad worship war stories when I teach at conferences, and I heard a shocking one this past weekend at WorshipFilms.com's Eye Max Conference. Right before a worship leader was ready to lead worship one Sunday before church, an old lady stopped him and said "I hope you have a heart attack."
Guess the traditionalists are resorting to death threats these days. And churches, you wonder why it's so hard to find a worship leader!
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17 comments:
so sad... and sadly I know, those same thoughts and words come from the mouths of some in our church congregation, too. I love the new songs, I love the freedom to see youth express themselves with fresh sounds. It's about coming to Jesus, not about what hymn we sing!
It's interesting that both sides of the worship war seem to think that they have the right answer. Worship had been morphing and changing for thousands of years. What used to be considered contemporary songs are now standards in many traditional hymnals. Blended worship - utilizing the old and the new - past and future - is the end result. We best not forget where we come from or we won't know where we are going.
We can't deal in absolutes. Yes, contemporary worship is here to stay but that certainly doesn't mean that traditional worship or music should go away. If I were the worship leader and someone came to me and said that I would be crushed. I would examine what I was doing to make the members of my congregation so angry towards me.
My guess is this... the leader has totally abandoned any simalance of traditional worship in a church in which where there are a great many older people. I'm sorry but you just don't do that. You find balance.
My church, although only 500 or so members, mixes traditional and contemporary. A few years ago we had a piano and an organ. Now we have a full worship band and a worship team along with a choir. With the mix we use we are able to help the entire congregation worship and we do not alienate any members.
Remember... it's not about what I want as a worship leader. It's about what the congregation needs.
Most importantly... never ignore criticisms (good or bad) about your services. Consider them prayerfully. Remember, you're not the man (or woman)... you're simply a facilitator of worship. If someone is that adamant about your style you really need to stop and think about what you're doing.
To "anonymous" I will say, yes, it's about coming to Jesus... but if you couldn't stand the music (as this poor lady apparenly couldn't) would you be more or less apt to "come to Jesus" during the service?
Amen, ihijunp, There is validaty in all kinds of music. I'm old enough to remember when you couldn't bring a saxaphone into the church because it was a jzz instrument and not appropriate for worship. things change but we all still sing Holy, Holy, Holy because it is valid to us. And we like to sing Emmanuel because it is valid. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. And listen to your congregation. they have hopes and dreams and a need to find Jesus. We all need to be flexible and not so absorbed in the how - but more in the why.
As you read church history, worship wars have been with us from the beginning, and they're probably not going to go away as long as we all have a sin-nature.
As much as I love modern styles, it's not going to be too many years before this style is outdated.
Remember that the message stays the same but the methods have to change.
Well put ihijump. I wonder how much further away from the razor's edge we would be if we would collectively and prayerfully stop and consider what we're doing.
Why are the old traditionalists good enough to serve in the church cleaning bathrooms, serving donuts and coffee, along with a myriad of other jobs, and doing it faithfully for years but not good enough to have a say in the type of music you use in worship. I don't approve of death threats, don't get me wrong, but we can at least listen to them. This is from a guy who loves the old and the new from hymns to Delirious, from "Shout to the Lord" to "All to You" (Lincoln Brewster.)
Tom
When I said "we can at least listen to them" I didn't mean the death threats.
LOL. Christians eh?
LOL. Christians eh?
I lead worship and have felt the heat from a few annointed ones. They didn't threaten me but they said my Les Paul would make excellent kindling. My response to them is simply this, "You may not like the music I select, but God commands you to love the people in the band AND those who come through the doors because they like the music."
As a pastor with a catholic (in the dictionary sense) taste in music, I am really disappointed in the continuation of the so called Worship Wars. I have horror stories too, of contemporary worship leaders telling their congregation when they start their set "now we are going to have real worship" as opposed presumably to the unreal worship that moves the hearts of "traditional" hymns etc. I led a Prairie church and had to lead worship in the "country" style. Do I like that style? NO. Did it move hearts the hearts to worship YES!
In Christ there is no country, contemporary, traditional or classical. We are one in the Spirit not the style.
I recently stepped down from the worship leader position at my church, a congregation of about 200 to 250, because the "tug of war" became too much for me. We have a blended service and it has worked pretty well, but there are still those who want all traditional and those who want all contemporary and the clash of styles has caused some disunity.
In my humble opinion there is crap in both the hymnbook & the contemporary worship worlds. I think the mistake is to assume that because something new that it's better, or worse yet that because something is popular that it's also good.
I do not buy the idea that if you like contemporary worship that you can't also like hymns, or that you have to like all contemporary worship. I both like & dislike things from both worlds. I see no reason why the two can't peacefully co-exist. After all great music is great music whether it's 5 minutes old or 500 years old.
I do absolutely agree with the idea that young people have to find their own voice in worship. It is a great thing when a young person finds or writes a song that hits a theological nail in the head. It is a great thing because it means that the truth has gotten to their hearts, and the torch has be successfully passed to the next generation.
I think though one of the mistake our generation has made is to allow our children & ourselves to think for even a minute that it is all about what they/we like. It is a disservice we do to our society to not understand that music is multi-generational thing.
The great thing about worship & music is the passing of what's great from generation to generation. People listening to what their parents loved, adding their own thing & passing that to their children and so on.
I myself grew up on hymns & learned classical piano first. Even though I love contemporary worship I also love the hymns. I wouldn't utterly want to let them go either. I have room in my heart for both.
I think to move forward intelligently you have to give proper respect to the past. Remember, ladies & gentlemen, we're standing on the shoulder, the prayers & the legacy of previous generations. It is highly disrespectful, in my opinion to devalue the worship they left us.
I also think that for too long we've allowed the enemy to use this thing that should not be an issue at all to devide us, disrespect of our legacy, and dishonour our King. It's time for the church to grow up & get down to the matter of making it about Him & not us. Let God use whatever he pleases whether it be contemporary, traditional, or a little each.
How is it helpful to label someone a traditionalist? You're facilitating the separation that you preach against. Good music is good music. Hymns done poorly are agony to my ears. Praise songs done poorly make me want to get up and yank the guitar out of some poor shmnoe's hands. Or at least tune it for him. Basically one's ability to appreciate and be blessed by music depends more heavily on the quality then the genre. Of course that's just my opinion. And I agree with ihijump. Any good speaker knows you have to speak the words of the people. Give them what they want, not what you think they need.
God Bless
I am just amazed how heated this is...I am with ihijump. I use music from both worlds, traditional and contemporary in determining the music for the church I serve in. I allow God to guide me, and try to keep in mind the audience and the diversity of that audience. Do we not use the bible in teaching, we take the best from it (not exactly contemporary in age) to help us today? I just try to use what is being discussed that Sunday by the Rector as a springboard from which I chose the pieces. That could come from contemporary or from traditional sources. What is most important is holding to our faith in something bigger than all of us combined, God's unconditional love and grace. Being in church, singing, preaching, fellowship is supposed to be celebrating that.
the church needs to know and be clear who they are trying to reach. If you are looking to reach older, tradition steep people then stick to what works...traditional hymns. No problem with that.
If your looking to reach young adults (18-35) then consider contemporary worship as a marjority are more engaged by that style.
if the leadership has charged the church with going contemporary then do it as best you can. If people don't like it they can find a better suited church. it works the same way for the traditional church that has people wanted contemporary. It's not worth the fight.
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