So how do we deal with differing tastes, differing convictions, differing needs and differing desires? When some want variety and others predictability? Or when some want nothing but modern praise songs and others want classic hymns? Or when some want stoicism and others want passion?
Some of the answers:
- Majority rules—whatever most people want goes
- Tradition rules—whatever we’ve always done goes
- Age rules—the younger folks can do it their way when their time comes
- Separate but equal services—one service for one group, another for the other
- Worship style determined by each week’s praise leader—different men in the congregation take turns leading, with each one determining what style will be used that week
- My way or the highway—if some folks don’t like it, they can find themselves somewhere else to worship
Are there other suggestions? What’s the best way to handle our differences?
“different men in the congregation take turns leading,”
And what is wrong with alternating with women?
Our choice is deliberately missional. We do what young people like – as our congregation is in an area that has a high proportion of 20 and 30 something people, and because the youth are the future of the church. We have 2 services – the morning service is slightly more traditional (it’s family oriented) and the evening service has a younger ‘vibe”. But both are very contemporary. And our “oldies” have grown to love singing Chris Tomlin and Hillsong!
We have several men that lead singing, so a different person leads the worship each week. I think that is the way to vary the worship. We don’t have a big enough congregation to split into two services, though otherwise we’d be a good candidate for that because we have both very conservative and fairly progressive. Sometimes I wonder how we all get along – the only answer to that is our common love for God!
Anyway, each worship leader has a different style, and I’ve been guilty of being kinda bummed when a slower, more boring leader was up – but I have recently come to realize that you can’t think of it as taking the bad with the good – every man has a genuine desire to bring us together in worship and spur us on toward love for each other. If you’re not moved by the sound of the song, then focus on the words instead. If there’s not much energy in the songs that were chosen, then find it in your heart to patiently devote yourself to a more serious tone for that day. You can always loosen up later at home! :) And I’m with Wendy – we have some older members that have come to love newer songs too – if they can open their hearts and minds to try it out, I believe they can love them as well. But it goes both ways – those of us who prefer newer songs will have to “tolerate” (if that’s how we want to look at it) the older ones for the sake of unity and keeping the peace. We all have to work together! If we set our minds to be discontent whenever things don’t go our way, we will NEVER be happy in any situation!
You need to read and study the worship issue of the GA…A fair and balanced point of view….they seem to have all the answers…
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I have always thought unity and collective communication was key. If the congregation as a whole prefers a certain way then let it be.
Great post Bro!
If we truly love God and our brother/sisters in Christ rather than loving ourselves, this issue will work itself out without any specifics needed. And no one will complain when their least favorite style of worship is the order for that particular day nor will anyone try to force the rest of the congregation to alway comply with their preferances (that includes the inappropriate use of proof-texts from scripture in order to manipulate the assembly into believing that such preferences are also biblical).
Grace and peace,
Rex
You left one off . . .
You said majority rules. I would add a more specific layer – the vocal majority rules.
We have a worship pastor who plans and co-ordinates the services. So all our services have a similar level of professionalism (very high). Different people (both men and women) lead the singing and that brings variety (the services are also planned to be different). We advertise ourselves (website and radio) as contemporary and that’s just part of our spiritual DNA. We believe we HAVE to be contemporary. And we have almost as many over 40s as under 40s.
If we look at the bible for specific rules to worship, if Jewish then there are many. Eastern Europe and the Catholics established traditional church worship. Protestants, the Lutherens, Episcopaleans, Greek Orthodox churches helped us to do this. For me growing up Methodist it was all the same. I really don’t think it matters much. Do what you want, worship God in the way you feel good about.