by J. Senja Morgan, Director of Music Ministries
Let's cut to the chase. Some of us just don't like certain musical styles in worship.
Folks that like praise songs might find hymns too boring and wordy. Folks that love traditional hymns may think that praise songs are too simple and repetitive.
Some of us may feel that certain styles of music shouldn't be used in worship at all, or that they should be kept in separate categories (eg. traditional service, contemporary service). After all, it's only human nature that like consumers, we prefer to visit the restaurants that serve our favorite food.
When new musical styles emerged in churches across the 1970s and 80s, that prompted a new term for the 1990s: Worship Wars. But guess what? Worship wars are not new. Click on the following title link to discover some history of changing musical preferences since the year 700 AD: Worship Wars
And guess what else? The worship wars are over and there is no winner. Click on the next following link for some perspective on that, plus coping suggestions if "worship war" still feels real. When You Don't Like the Music
When war is over, both "sides" lay down their arms for the sake of unity. In other words, lay down our music preferences for the sake of the body of Christ. Click on the following link to read more: Help! I Don't Like the Music...
Finally, consider this statement by the author Brett Mccracken:
"A humble and submissive posture is the heart and soul of Christian worship because it reflects the deferential character of Christ himself." That quote is from his book titled "Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community" (Crossway, 2017). Click on the following link for more: