Examining the Worship Debate

Written by Rick Hope & John Booth

Chances are you’ve thought about it, heard about it or dealt with it head on: the debate over worship styles. Whether your congregation prefers a traditional, contemporary or blended approach to worship, consider the real issue here: Is the style of music in your church becoming a bigger focus than the real purpose of worship? Here are a few things to consider about the worship debate.

The Worship Debate Rick Hope

Recently, I’ve noticed that anytime I’m around a body of believers, there is always one debate that seems to be prevalent (especially among Baptists), and that is the issue of the type of music to be played in church. Now, personally, you could please me either way. I grew up among the old hymns and they still move me as well as carry some fond memories with them. However, being a youth pastor, I also appreciate the praise choruses and use them often in my quiet times.

But I know and understand that it is and will remain a hot debate for some time to come. However, there is one argument that I hear from both camps that frustrates me to no end. “I can’t worship with THAT type of music. The Holy Spirit just isn’t there.”

I worry, for several reasons, when I hear that comment.

First of all, I feel that it limits God. Mark 10:27 says that with Him, all things are possible. When we say or allude to the idea that God can only work through one type of music, then aren’t we limiting Him? I don’t know about you, but that’s one thing of which I don’t want to be guilty.

Second, I feel that it’s important that we don’t just limit our definition of worship to a church service.The late Grady Nutt said that as a child, he had a hard time understanding the biblical admonition to “pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).” He said that maturity eventually brought awareness that the idea of constant prayer is an attitude of dedication and concentration on God that comes out in all that we say and do.

Worship, then, is not a song, sermon or drama. It is, rather, an attitude that reflects our walk with God. How do you worship?

Traditional or .?

John Booth

I have become aware of young adults now joining very traditional churches. When asked why, they often say, “I like the structure that this church offers. I have tried contemporary, and it is just not me.”

The praise of the church is like a freight train: It will only carry so much. Some music is “disposable,” and some is long-lived. Both are a part of who we are today. Though it may break some people’s hearts that we do not sing “Pass It On” anymore, it is a reality that the ’60s are over (contrary to how some of us look and think).

Gospel music was the praise and worship music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of it has remained, and there is a wealth of “sentimental drivel” that died with the turn of the century. The question is,”What is the music of the 21st century?” The children of the “praise and worship” generation will criticize their parents’ music, and the parents will hold on to their music a little too long.

What troubles me is that the music industry will hasten the demise of what I believe is a good thing. Every group is now recording a praise and worship album. How far can it go?

I have two degrees in hymnology, and I still believe that the current trend is good. We need a breath of fresh air in worship. The important thing is that whether we are traditional, contemporary or “blended,” we need to do it “first class.” Boring is boring, whether it’s with organ music or with your hands in the air. If people have shorter attention spans, why do we sing the same chorus over and over?

We know a lot about our culture and what will work. We are so set in our ways that we will not try new approaches to ministry, even if they seem to have a success in many places.

I believe that each church has to decide who it is and what works for it. Our danger is to imitate other churches because God has blessed them. It is not our methodology that God blesses, but our desire to do what is right before Him.

It comes back to the most powerful statement in the original message: It is all about Him, not about us. How will we minister coming out of the “decade of me (the ’90s)?” I do not think it is a simple answer, but I think it will be different than what we have been doing.

Rick Hope is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Lillian, TX. John Booth is associate professor of music/chair, Music Department, Hannibal-LaGrange College, Hannibal, Mo., and a freelance writer.

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