Last weeks editorial pointed out that Baptist churches are part
of what many call the “free” tradition of worship. Basically,
this means each congregation interprets the Bibles meaning of worship
for itself, arranges the orders of worship and decides the style of worship
best suited for its people.
Last weeks editorial pointed out that Baptist churches are part
of what many call the “free” tradition of worship. Basically,
this means each congregation interprets the Bibles meaning of worship
for itself, arranges the orders of worship and decides the style of worship
best suited for its people.
This free style of worship has been a strong shaper of our history and a key
component in our ability to establish and grow churches among all educational,
social and intellectual people groups.
This approach to worship also has encouraged most Baptist churches to avoid
any worship exercise or activity that could be identified as liturgical or high
church. About as close to high church as most Baptist churches came in the past
was singing the doxology during every Sunday morning worship and praying together
the Lords Model Prayer. This has not included all churches, because in
the free worship tradition, churches that feel comfortable with more formal
styles are free to have that kind of worship – and do.
In the last 10 or so years, increasing numbers of Baptist churches have moved
to what are called contemporary and blended styles of worship.
Contemporary styles of worship focus on casual, spontaneous, almost nonchalant
congregational participation and have almost no place for formality. Worship
services are structured to appeal to feelings and impressions rather than theological
or doctrinal understanding of biblical content.
Many observers say that the almost sharp turn to this kind of worship is a
reaction to what had become, in many instances, predictable and redundant worship
services whose planners placed more emphasis upon familiarity and precise content
and form than upon making contact with the heart as well as the head.
In most cases, Baptists who desire a contemporary worship service are younger
than 40 years of age, and those older than 40 generally desire a more traditional
style.
Previous issues of the Baptist Message have tried to report some of the stress
upon congregations caused when sizable groups within a church desire different
styles of worship. Most church observers say the issue of worship style is the
crucial point of church tension. Lutheran Seminary professor Paul Westermeyer
states flatly, “Our current disputes are intramural, not between denominations
or various confessional orientations but with them, especially within individual
congregations.” (Paul Hustads True Worship published by Hope Publishing
Company, 1998.)
Who is right? Which style of worship is appropriate for people who say they
are people of the Book?
The honest answer is that each group has something significant to learn from
the other.
Those who find great comfort in predictable, very formal services of worship
that they can go through by rote forget that many people in churches today have
a different set of experiences, expectations and needs. There are people who
come to worship who do not have the emotional ties to formal hymns, and they
do not see responsive readings as creative worship forms as older people once
saw them.
Members who believe that only traditional forms of worship are valid also may
fail to understand that new generations of Christians are more intent on feeling
experiences. And they are unwilling to accept as valid what brings this television-raised,
hard-rock music- nurtured generation in touch with feelings they believe are
valid in their relationship with God. Amazingly, they often are more willing
to fight over variances of worship style than key doctrinal matters.
If older members want to see younger people stepping forward as the future
of the church, they must allow for the younger generations needs and desires
in worship, as long as the structure and practice of worship remain within biblical
guidelines of worship.
The younger generations may fail to realize the importance of many of the traditional
elements of worship services.
Worship is not meant to be human participant centered. The biblical emphasis
clearly rests upon pleasing God with our worship as it is focused upon Him.
If a traditional style of worship tends toward formalism, a contemporary style
of worship tends toward trying to satisfy egocentrisms of human participants.
Contemporary services that strive to be above all else “seeker friendly”
rather than primarily God honoring are off the biblical focus of worship.
One of the important functions of corporate worship is to model how individuals
are to worship Him in their private meditations and service. One of the losses
of many contemporary services is the lack of well-thought, even planned prayers
and readings. Spur-of-the-moment prayers too often model self-centeredness and
shallowness. This editor often finds himself thinking a prayer written thoughtfully
during private devotions and then read as an offering to God during corporate
worship would be a meaningful time of commitment as well as a model to follow.
Many choruses popular in churches today are rich in praise but often void of
thanksgiving, supplication and especially confession, all of which the Bible
exhorts us to experience in all worship. If a congregation sings only what are
sometimes called 7-ll choruses (seven words sung ll times), they rob themselves
of the rich language of hymns that have endured and nurtured believers for generations.
Their age is not a detriment to meaning, it is a tribute to their depth of meaning.
One dislikes picturing the conflict over worship styles as simply one of age,
because it is not totally that. But it is in large degree one of different age
groups life experiences and preferences.
Rather than lining up across the church worship center from each other and
throwing brickbats and shooting insults at each other, the two groups should
sit down and learn from one another. There is a strong likelihood that what
one group wants more of, the other group needs more of.
One imagines that the common ground between the two desires for different styles
of worship is more in agreement of what the Bible says about worship and orders
of worship that provides a Christ-centered focus.