Contemporary vs. Traditional: Music in Conflict?
A dilemma faced by worship planners around the globe is how to meet the
spiritual needs and musical tastes within a diverse congregation containing
multiple generations, cultures, and backgrounds All of these differences
contribute to diversity in what people like and what ministers to each one.
Strategies abound to meet the range of needs: provide two services with
differing styles of worship, suggest that churchgoers pick a congregation that
fits their style, alternate styles of services from week to week, ask folks to
tolerate each other.
Surely our choices must be more expansive than to simply ‘segregate’ our
worshipers or ‘tolerate’ each other. We must begin by answering a question: What
is the purpose of music in our worship settings?
Answers again abound: to entertain, fill down-time, cover up activity (e.g.
collecting the offering), serve as a venue for performers. Any of these has
probably been true at one time or another in worship, but none is the real
reason for music in worship.
I believe the purpose of music in worship is to uplift the heart, heal the
soul, carry the ministry of God’s word to a deeper emotional and spiritual level
for the congregation. With this in mind, it means that there is no right or
wrong answer about what kind of music to use. The ‘right’ music is whatever
touches the hearts of congregation members. How can this happen with diverse
backgrounds and tastes?
Consider these actions, not necessarily sequential, but all worthwhile:
Expand the congregation’s repertoire: Work with the
congregation over time to build an expectation that ALL who attend services
should come with an openness to learn to experience God in new ways and to
understand fellow members of the congregation. Through church school classes
and the message communicated during worship, help congregations to
understand their responsibility to “reach” to appreciate varied elements of
worship – and the joy that reaching out can bring.
Expand the congregation’s understanding: Plan worship
services to include stories of the background of the music to help members
of the congregation understand and appreciate the music. This can help
congregations listen more willingly to something new or different.
In the end, musicians need to prayerfully consider their selections with
attention to enhancing the worship of those who have come to the House of the
Lord. Worship planners must find ways to help a congregation grow together in
their understanding and appreciation of diverse elements of worship. And it is
the responsibility of ALL who attend or participate in worship to seek God’s
spirit of understanding with openness to new inspiration and caring for their
fellow congregation members. The Spirit leads us to do more than tolerate each
other and encourages us to transcend differences that separate us.
