How we Lost Worship to the Worship Wars

I served as Pastor of the Charter Oak Evangelical Free Church in the early 80's in the midst of what some now refer to as "the worship wars." It was really a debate over music styles in our liturgies; churches were dividing on whether to allow contemporary Christian music accompanied by guitars and drums and driven by Christian radio; or was only hymns accompaniment by organs piano's, classical instruments and singing from hymnals reverent enough for worship. Many young and middle aged people had become Christians through campus ministries in the 60's and 70's and had spent most of their youth listening to rock and role. They were more familiar with musicians who came out of the Jesus movement, Larry Norman, Andre Crouch, and The Second Chapter of Acts, than with music that could not be played on traditional church organs. Many found the traditional hymn boring and hard to sing. Others, principally those who were older saw  the church as a fortress that protected people from the evil influences of the world. They believed church music should be different from the cultures. They held to the more classical and traditional style of service They preferred the great Hymns of the faith that put scripture or theology to words and had the full music scripts in their hymnal. They had sung the traditional hymns all their life could sing either the melody line or the harmony whether they could read music or not. They were unfamiliar with Christian rock and to them it didn't sound spiritual unless it was played on an organ.

There was what was for the most part a generational divide over music in the church. Some who argued that the traditional hymns were rich in theology and significant in church history;  

Billy Graham's response to the worship wars.

contemporary Christian music, while certainly appropriate, for outreach to unbelievers, was too loud worldly and new that they were uncomfortable with it. Those on the other side were quick to remind that in every hymnal there were songs that were shallow theologically, and that had been at one time a contemporary song, which people in the traditional church had askewed. My church formed what we called a worship committee and tried to blend an equal number of "choruses from a chorus book" with hymns.  We tried to do a little bit for to please everybody and we called that "worship."

Most churches today have gone in principally one direction or the other, they are either contemporary (or what some call quote seeker sensitive) or traditional. Or some churches will actually have different services that offer different styles of music, so a person can choose what "ministers to them." The liturgy of a particular church is often driven by music preferences of the majority of parishioners in the church. Those preferences are often determined by what they listen to or play on the radio. The result of the worship wars has been for liturgy derived from a Christian entertainment industry that is modeled after the poplar cultural trends. We hire people to be worship leaders and their unstated job description is to please the congregation. Often whether traditional or contemporary our music styles are a reflection of people's musical preferences rather than understanding of theology or a biblical concept of worship. 

I first encountered an explanation of   the contemporary music trend  in Robert Webber's WORSHIP IS A VERB." For him worship is active not passive, and  the congregation are performers before God who is the audience. The war between contemporary worship and traditional worship was over whose performance was more stimulating. Most churches over 200 now have a paid

The war between contemporary worship and traditional worship was over whose performance was more stimulating. 

staff person, whom we describe with the oxymoron "worship minister," their job whether traditional or contemporary is to choreograph a great performance each Sunday, that impresses God. We usually measure success by whether the mood we strive to create please the congregation's expectations. Although we say we are seeking to please God in essence very little of our worship is derived from a scriptural or theological perspective or from an understanding of who God is or nature of theology but from the Christian entertainment industry.

I appreciate the contemporary music industry. My car radio is often tuned to one of the contemporary Christian music networks. I have two applications on my phone that stream music from Christian radio station, and I have an Iheart radio and Pandora account. If you were to look at my listening history the vast majority is contemporary Christian music.  The church my family attends offers both a contemporary and traditional service. The contemporary service is the one my family and I attends by default, yet we have attended the traditional service on occasions and are appreciative of it. The idea that we are an audience performing before God combined with pervasive influence of Christian entertainment has lead us away from a worship that glorifies God to one that satisfies the cultural prejudice of our time. The worship wars have created a far more audience centered than a God centered liturgy in most settings. Many of us seek a worship that is the most popular show in town rather than a liturgy that drives us to a contemplation or celebration of who Jesus is and what he has done. 

Many of us seek a worship that is the most fervent show in town rather than a God centered liturgy driven to contemplation or celebration of grace. 

When I was growing my family's response to worship was to talk about the sermon over dinner. What the word of God said and how it impacted our lives. Many Christians today talk with their children about "the worship," which music was uplifting and inspiring, rather than how the pastors text will affect each family members actions at home, work or school. The focus is on what made us feel good, not what change is God calling us to today. The teaching of word of God is often perceived as supplementary to worship. Worship leaders are responsible for everything that goes on before the sermon starts, which we refer to as "worship time." It's the time the audience performs before God. The sermon is something else, a disconnected add on. Often the goal of worship seems to be to build up frenetic enthusiasm, rather than fulfilling either the Great Commandment or Great Commission. So many of us believe that God is pleased with our worship if we leave feeling good, rather than if we are living well. While I appreciate contemporary worship and have no desire to go back to the traditional style, I question whether the worship wars have brought us to any better understanding worship than the prior generation. 

We commend those who make us feel good  like the Olsteens, who inspire their congregation to be happy enthusiastic and who do help people live mentally health lives, but who say nothing about sin or spiritual transformation or the gospel. Many of us spend hours listening to Christian radio or television with little time for meditation or consideration of the Word of God. We are more likely to heed the counsel of a musician on the radio than we are the counsel of a pastor who knows, or a theologian who has invested years in the study of God's word. When was the last time you heard an interview with a prominent pastor or theologian on Christian radio about family life or social issues of our day. Yet any hour of the day you can stream a Christian radio station and hear any number of Christian musicians opining on politics, marriage the family, as if musical talent was the measure of either maturity or spirituality.  Those of us who advocated for a more contemporary liturgy as an attempt to be more relevant to a modern audience have seen church attendance and evangelistic success decline. Despite the growth of seeker sensitive services and contemporary worship, the church has become less influential in society rather than more. More relevant worship has failed to draw unbelievers or seekers to the church. I am afraid that worship as performance may have lost worship to the worship wars.

The idea that worship consists of a congregation performing before God as audience diminishes it's value. Performance is acting in a practiced way in order to impress or gain the reaction or reward of an audience. While we say we are seeking to please God, we are often seeking to identify and appeal to contemporary cultural norms. We have lost something by the way we treat worship. Recently I heard a listener call into a talk show on a national Christian radio contemporary Christian network. He shared the testimony of his conversion that had begun with him hearing the THIRD DAY song SOUL ON FIRE. It was a moving story of how his thoughts about that song had lead him to make decisions and connections that God used to transform him. I was nearly in tears until the emcee, a nationally known Christian broadcaster and pastor, responded: "Wow, what a testimony to the ministry that Christian music [not Christ or the Holy Spirit but Christian music] has had in your life. Do you know what your story reminds me of?"

"Well, no," said the listener,

"My.favorite movie, Shawshank Redemption," said the broadcaster. "You know the guy was in bondage then set free, just like the gospel, set you free."

My tears of joy changed to anger at such a response from someone who was supposedly a role model. I lost a lot of respect for that disc jockey, who seemed to think the trans formative power of the gospel was initiated by contemporary Christian music, rather than the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the music. Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies too, but the redemption this movie talks about is antithetical to the gospel.

Shawshank Redemption is the story of a man falsely accused of murdering his wife, who spends years in prison as a well behaved inmate, then finally schemes away out of his predicament. He escapes to Mexico where he lives out his life in happiness, freed from the injustice of his incarceration. It's a story of a person redeeming themselves by their own deeds and schemes, and escaping the false charges made against them. This is not the gospel that produces THE SOUL ON FIRE described in the Third Day song. It is exactly the opposite of what that listener had experienced.

Worship that transforms, leads us to the cross. We need redemption because we are guilty. The charges levied against me and you are true! We are guilty (Ex 8:30; 12:31; Dt 1:35;  Jb 14:4; 15:16; Ps 14:3; 38:5; 58:3; 143:2; Ec 7:29; Is 53:6; 59: 7&8, 13-15; 64:6; Je 2:13; Ez 36:25; Ro 3:10-12, 23; 1 Co 6:5; Ep 2:3; 2 Pt 13:15). No matter how much we improve ourselvesl how religious we are, no matter our plan our scheme, there is no escape the shame or consequences of our sin. Worship recognizes that we are guilty and deserving of suffering, but there is One who has taken that substitution for us to satisfy a just God. 

Worship seek a response from God and often eschews any human recognition:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-6 ESV)

Worship is a personal connection of the heart with God, whether done as part of a congregation and done aloud, or alone in a time of reverent devotion. Worship is not what pleases men but what exposes our heart to God and redeems and liberates us from sin. Worship is contemplation or celebration of what God is doing rather than performing to show God our righteousness.

Biblical worship also involves giving and surrendering what the world values for the purpose of exalting God's holiness:

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” (Luke 7:36-40 ESV)

Worship gives up something valuable to honor Christ. The magi each brought a precious gift to the new born Savior. Worship affronts the status quo and eliminates social status. The pastor is no more important than the congregation. We set aside time, money, career. We deny ourselves the pleasure of watching the NFL. We stand at Jesus feet and give him without question or remorse the things most valuable to us in recognition of what He has given us. Worship makes us an audience in awe of his glory, rather than performing to get his attention. Pagan's dance around fires or commit ritual sacrifices as a performance to get God's attention. Christian worship is God revealing himself to people who could never perform well to get his attention (Isaiah 6, Revelation 4).

Worship recognizes God's greatness in comparison to our  smallness:

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:9-11 ESV)

Worship is unsafe! Isaiah saw God "in the year of King Uzziah's death." Uzziah was a righteous King of Israel who went into the temple to offer sacrifices despite his lack of qualification to do so. He was struck down with leprosy and died. Worship is not something we do because God want us to be happy. It is not a performance that gains us prosperity. Worship is a dangerous thing. It brings us into presence of God and threatens all that we are. Worship celebrates or contemplates his person and work rather than showing off our talent even if we are showing to off to God. We can be as ostentatious before God as we can before men. (Isaiah 6: 1-8).

Worship transforms our inward focus to an outward vision.

“Cry aloud; do not hold back;
lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? (Isaiah 58:1-5 ESV)

Most of us feel we have transformed worship if our liturgy has gone from a stoic piety to an earnest zeal, yet God rejected Israel's pious zeal, because they failed to carry his grace to a hurting world. Worship draws us inward to carry us outward.

When I observe how the Christian entrainment has shaped our worship it makes me wonder whether the worship wars changed anything. Have we got any better understanding of worship than the previous generations?

When I observe how the Christian entrainment has shaped our worship it makes me wonder whether the worship wars changed anything.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 ESV) When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 ESV)

Worship rather than being a zealous expression of how good we are it is a group of people standing together in awesome wonder of the fear of God. Worship is often lost, because it becomes a display of our talent or righteousness, rather than a prostration before a Holy God. Let's not go back to pipe organs and hymnals, but let's dispel ourselves of the performance mentality. Let worship lead us to a healthy experience of the fear of God.