October 22, 2006

Worship 101 and the Seven Elevens

We live in a media rich environment. Any one of us can listen to any kind of music imaginable with the click of a mouse. We can worship to whatever style of music we dig. Even hymns that used to be piano, organ, or ochestrated are now celtic, classical guitar, or hard rock. It is amazing - new music written and old music re-styled - what more could we ask for???

Ok, unity in our churches on Sunday morning is what I'm asking for. . . and some days that's like asking for world peace - highly desirable but improbable as long as we humans are in charge.

Because we can worship all week long to whatever we worship best with - we come to church expecting the worship leader to cater to our particular taste. We forget about the call to corporate worship, the call to harmony and unity in the body, and instead whine and complain OR start attending other church services whose styles are more toward our liking - sometimes in addition to the church we are already attending. And we completely miss the boat.

I have been on both ends of the worship spectrum - the high holy chant and the holy seven elevens (you know, the same seven words sang eleven times) and I have seen the people worship. All I know is that ecclesiastical bodylife is supposed to be a representation of God's love for us demonstrated to each other - you know - our calling card - "they'll know we are Christians by our love" - loving each other as an act of worship. . . hmmmmmm, that sounds a lot like Worship 101 to me.

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