Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Contemporary vs Traditional

Let me start by sharing that my heart is to place the mirror in front of myself, ponder all these things alongside you, and hopefully come away looking a little more like my Creator...for His glory...not mine.

I wish that there weren't problems within the body of Christ.  I wish that we all understood not only our purpose but also the best ways to fulfill that purpose.  I wish the Bride of Christ was unified but sadly, as long as we are bound by time, awaiting our permanent home, we hobble along hoping to show the lost world that there is a God who can bring healing and hope and, One Day, ultimate unity.

While there is nothing new under the sun, each generation and culture puts its unique stamp on the human race through music, art, poetry, and the like.  Much is gained through looking into the past, and much is changed through braving the future that awaits.  How sad when a line that divides Christians is one that could, instead, be a learning curve, spurring us on to spread the Gospel.

Worship.   "Worship" can be used to describe the time when the body of believers come together to grow and edify and bring the message of hope to the perishing.  Tragically, the methods, styles, and preferences of sinners often bring disharmony among Christ followers.  We get lost in things like traditional vs. contemporary.  God alone is worthy of worship...the specific style of a church service does not fall into a category worthy of worship and, yet, many will fight tooth and nail to have the service they believe is: best, right, perfect, more likely to reach the lost, etc.

Jesus is Jesus and He can and will draw the lost unto Himself with or without instruments, lights, "new" music, all 6 verses of a hymn, suits & ties or flip-flops & shorts.  Amen?  Amen!  But how amazing and humbling it is that our Creator as Savior and Spirit wants to use us sinners to share His message of redemption with all people.  We just get a little caught up in how that message should be shared.

The body of Christ has many different parts, each with gifts and roles and it can be tricky to fit into our role and also value a role that looks different than ours.    While God's word tells us that believers dwelling in unity is a beautiful thing, we aren't given specifics for how a church bulletin should look (how could we survive without an order of service though, right?).  Really, though, how is it even possible that in the richest nation in the world we have Christians fussing and fuming over styles of worship services?

The reality is that we all have preferences.  We find things that "fit".  We find churches and worship services with various times and styles that fit us.  Is there anything wrong with this?  No, not in and of itself, but the depravity of our hearts show when our fallen natures control our motives.  

I have some amazing friends and they are my friends for many reasons but a huge one is that they fit me.  I experience rest and comfort sitting on the couch of a friend, catching up on the phone, or sitting opposite them in prayer and fellowship.  Comfort, however, is not my main motivation for friendship.  I like comfort but I need the encouragement, the hard life lessons, the pain, the correction, the love and support that are part of friendships.  

My husband is my favorite person in the world.  My hair is down and there is comfort there but only because of how deep our relationship goes...only because we are real with one another and love each other through challenges and differences.  

I appreciate the fit I have with my spouse, with friends, and with other believers but the feeling of a comfortable fit is not the end goal of any godly relationship. And may I be so bold as to say that the feeling of a comfortable fit is not the end goal of any worship service.  

To choose a place and style of worship based solely on comfort or feeling that your comfortable service should fit everyone else is completely self-centered and not at all unifying to the brothers and sisters in Christ being alienated.

If you struggle with how a stuffy, traditional service could possibly make a difference in "today's" world, I challenge you to find someone generations ahead of you that shines for Jesus and ask them their story...find out how they are ministering and serving.  Value and respect tradition.  One day the music and styles of this day might bring comfort to you when you are no longer contemporary.  Investigate the history and stories behind many hymns and you will find men and women who faced great hardship to bring beautiful music from the ashes of their lives, once contemporary themselves, and all for the glory of God.

If you struggle with how the stage lights, guitars, and deafening concert-like service could possibly have depth and stir hearts towards God, I would challenge you to ask the Spirit to the open your eyes to the absolute hunger for God in the hearts of the leaders.  There is a godly jealousy there...a desire to catch the ear and possibly the hearts of this generation.  Be inspired by the fire that burns within!  Support the ministries that reach out to the current culture.

If you don't struggle but feel stuck in the middle...if you don't understand how obsessed people can be over this, I challenge you to be sensitive and take the opportunities the Lord may put before you to bridge gaps and mend hearts, bringing unity to His body.  

To think that a specific location, time, or style is the best way to reach people for Jesus is putting a lot more merit in our ability to share the Gospel than warranted.  We are not needed for the whole world to hear.  God does not need a podcast in order for every ear to hear.  He has angelic messengers that can get the job done but, in His perfect wisdom, God chooses us.  US!  He chooses us to share...to look at not only the lost world through His eyes but also the family of God.  There is enough evil in this world to fight against and we should not be fighting one another.  

Let none of us assume that how we do things or even how things have "always" been done is the right way.  Our purpose is to glorify God and He is so awesome that we even get to enjoy doing so.  Do not limit the Creator to a musical style, dress code, or location.  Come with me to the hospice bed of my grandmother who wouldn't know the different worship style options if they hit her in the head because she has never cared much for church or for God until the Spirit drew her unto Himself, gave her a moment of total clarity, and she surrendered to Him.  She said she had been putting this off for too long.  A life of following in Jesus' footsteps is one of surrender. Waving a banner for why your preferences are right or best is not surrender.  Showing up at meetings to make waves is not surrender.  Feeling defeated when you have to make changes is not surrender.  Following a vision of unity while respectfully allowing for preferences is surrender.  Remembering where the air in our lungs comes from and staying humble and merciful through differences is surrender.   Jesus is always near.  He will meet you where you are.  And while He does and always will love us as we are, His perfect love for us never wants us to stay the way we are.  There is always something to be learned, always something to be surrendered, always room for growth, and always need for grace.

If you give up a little comfort for the glory of God, isn't that worth it?   It's okay to find shoes that fit.  I cannot function well in shoes that are made for a toddler.  But, honestly, if my heart is totally surrendered to God, I can function beyond myself whether I am in a contemporary service, traditional service, or in a homeless shelter listening to the story of a man who wishes he had not lost sight of God's purpose for his life.  We are all one step away from being in desperation.  We are all in need of the same mercy and grace.  

At the end of the day, it's all about Jesus.   At the end of this life, it's all about Jesus.