ANOTHER WORSHIP WAR?
I have been given the fortunate opportunity to minister and live within a transitional era. As a 28 year old pastor, I can remember life about 15 years ago. Here what it would look like; we would sing some songs from the hymnal and then our worship leader would do something staggering; He would pull out an overhead projector, no lie, and we would sing “praise songs.” I can remember the look on some of the people’s faces. You would have thought we were 1st century Jews eating pulled pork BBQ.
After a decade of fighting, overhead projectors have given way to multimedia. The contemporary movement is strong. In many ways, the contemporary movement is pushing out the traditionalists like the traditionalists tried to push them out a decade ago. There is one fundamental problem, my generation has emerged.
My generation is a generation caught in between and progressed into the future. We appreciate much of the contemporary movement and the truths they espouse, but we also appreciate the connection with the past that the traditionalists hold to. In many ways, my generation wants to go further back than the Stamps Baxter Hymnal. We like the creeds. We want the candles. We appreciate the legacy. We desire the sacred.
So what am I trying to say? I am saying that my generation is bringing another change to the church. We don’t want to be labeled. We want to be worshippers. We are not interested in subscribing to a system, but rather walking with God and connecting with the saints of the past. I guess we will see what happens.
