Worship's Inclusiveness (6)

One special moment surprised me during the Halifax Keswick Convention. One night's session was planned for young people - who were very evident! Responding to the loud rocky music, (with very thoughtful lyrics I must say), they jumped up and down and clapping vigorously at the front of the auditorium. It was high decibel active praise.

Later, when I began speaking, I mentioned how my wife had suggested that I get up and join them. Laughter greeted the suggestion and I explained how, anyway, I needed all my breath to preach.

When I finished, the musicians came up and began to play for the concluding part of worship. As the young people rose to take their place along the front again, one young man rushed across and pulled me up out of my seat. Very self-consciously I joined in at the end of the line. I feebly identifed with limited body action (!) as I found myself surrounded by real enthusiasts. Two girls came up alongside. One said: "You're doing well!" and then she added poignantly: "We are so glad you joined us."

Music can be a great divider and so easily break people into groups. And yet, it can also be a bridge between generations. Sure, it wasn't my first choice of music (nor my second!) but this worship enabled these young people to express their love for the Lord, and they wanted to include me. How much is it worth joining together across age boundaries and style preferences? Let's rephrase that question: How much is it worth to God who longs to create a new kind of worshiping community in Christ (Gal 3:28)?

So many questions arise?
Why do musical tastes clash so violently? (Thomas Troeger writes of "sonic cultures" - that we need to understand our own so that we can relate to others' too. Tension seems inevitable).
Did I please God by joining in the young people's loud praise music?
What were my motives? Was this a genuine way to show love and to strive for unity in the body of Christ?
Would they be as willing to join me in more reflective music? (I think some were there other sessions!)
Would it ever be possible (or desirable) to choose music in worship that would enable us to share in services together? How much would we have to suppress musical tastes? Is that a way of showing love to God and neighbor?
Should music have such a major role in setting worship parameters anyway? Isn't there so much more to gathered worship than music?

I believe that I glimpsed something afresh of the love that we need to show to one another if the unity of Christ's body is to be safeguarded. Is this easy when it comes to music? No. But some things are worth striving for. Working through implications of this experience needs so more thought, but I am so glad I went through it.

Worship Conflict (5)

Frankly, I don't think the definitions in (4) helped me much.

The more I think about the role of music the more I have to ask the big question: How important is music for worship? For people who define worship by music, it's all important. For them, praising God with music is so primary that when different "tastes" are catered for separately, the outcome means more people worshiping. More people satisfied by music = more worshipers.

As you might guess, I want to define worship as much more than music. So much more! Rather, it's the full-bodied response as a whole people lives for God's glory. A holy nation, royal priesthood, once not a people but now a people, because belonging to God they live differently (1 Pet 2:9-12). Not just by the way they sing, nor only on Sundays in services, but by the quality of community - offering lives as living sacrifices (Rom. 12;1,2) within gathered worship, and (most vitally) flowing out. Here the outcome is not measured by numbers of people singing, but by a church's quality of unity, love and mission. And that is a very different measure.

So the crunch comes if music, seen as primary, is allowed to divide up people, and contribute to disunity, spite and complacency. What irony - music as worship ruins God's plans for worship! Music choices, just because they are often so visceral and emotive, can actually stop people maturing together. I believe that dealing with music in worship, where churches have strong divided opinions is the contemporary proving place for the work of the Holy Spirit. Nothing shows God more at work, than being open to worship that inclusively enables unity, love and mission. This means much Holy Spirit fruit, plenty of skilful preaching leadership (see 360degree leadership!) and always a willingness to keep maturing into Gods' big picture of worship.

Worship conflict (4)

Following my visit to Gordon Conwell, I received a message from Calvin Woosung Choi:

I had a question which came to my mind after your departure. I wanted to ask your view on traditional and contemporary worship. I remember you mentioned about the wholistic approach to worship. Over the years of ministry, I came across several churches who were trying to set up contemporary worship in an effort to reach to a younger audience. Often this simply meant that taking out the choir, the creeds, the scripture reading, and the offering and having more of a praise oriented service. I would like to hear your view on this and how you would characterize them.

At the Pastors' Forum several pastors spoke (anxiously) about conflict over worship, exactly because of this issue. I had mentioned Marva Dawn's comment (in Reaching out without Dumbing Down, 1995) that two services - traditional and contemporary are "destructive and shallow" because they damage the formation of Christian community, allowing people to split off according to their tastes rather than grow together inclusively.

One pastor disagreed strongly, saying that music choices are "only a matter of style" and enabling people to worship God effectively is the first priority. Many different issues cluster here. It will be interesting to see how others react.

But let's at least begin with Calvin's request about characterizing these two terms. I agree with Rob Weber (Re-Connecting Worship 2004) that these terms traditional and contemporary have become "heavily value laden' and are often used from one particular interpretation to view the other negatively. He argues for this clarification:

• Traditional - worship with printed prayers and responses, congregational singing primarily from a hymnal, and "special music", either solo or choral, accompanied mostly by piano or organ.
• Contemporary - worship with little printed liturgy (though song lyrics often projected) using congregational singing and "special music" that draw from resources outside hymnals, accompanied by a variety of intruments, usually piano, guitar, bass and drums.
  

Both definitions contain a wide range of practices, but many churches know tension between tradition and innovation - especially well-established older communities. Both types of services can have a praise orientation, but styles of music can vary dramatically!

I want to pursue different aspects of this issue in days ahead. As always I shall be grateful for your insights and comments.