Where Will ‘Worship’ Go?

Going back a quarter of a century and earlier, worship in most of our Protestant churches centered on the sermon. Change began in two phases – the preacher's message should be conversational, and not didactic; and music should be contemporary in mood and manner.

By the end of the century, the general idea was that the church had no choice but to use contemporary music, if the current generation was to be reached. The frequent view was that worship had to be "market-driven, music-driven, numbers-driven, and therapy-driven." Church growth and evangelism became the dominant objective. The result was to bring the world's music into the church.

A further result was the loss of any sense of worship as humility before God. Everything had to be relational and horizontal. There was little sense of awe or reverence. The scene, and the atmosphere, in many churches was like that of the football stadium. The more noise the better; silence was deadening. If there was any concept of worship, it was primarily a performance to be watched, and a cheering section in which to participate. It was designed to make those present feel good about themselves. Sadly, in many churches, the gospel was toned down so there was no mention of sin; Bible doctrine was de-emphasized; the songs (not hymns) were about getting from God, not giving to Him or adoring Him. Many churches grew in numbers, some astronomically. But the music, patterned after the world with its monotony of tune, and its emptiness of text, and the casualness of preaching produced little spiritual growth.

Interestingly, many of the current generation are turning away from this type of 'worship.' One is reported as saying, 'What I hear in the world I now hear in the church, and I am sick of it. I want something different." Boomers are really on the defensive. The present generation wants something with more depth and meaning. Many of them are yearning for a more conservative style. They do not want the old three hymns and a sermon pattern, but they are tired of the nonreligious, showbiz production. They want to hear sermons straight from the Bible, and they very much want the worship atmosphere to be God-conscious. And they are turning back to the music and art of the past, recognizing its sublimity and its biblical symmetry. They have no quarrel with the casual, relational style, but they want worship to be for them a quest for an authentic experience with the God before whom they bow in awe and reverence.

[Reprinted from the August 2008 issue of The Watchman. Subscribe by writing Owens Ministries, Inc.; P.O. Box 2066; Gastonia, NC 28053. While The Watchman is free, of course they need your financial support.]