30 Days of Worship - Day 15 - June 15, 2023

Image from BiblePics.co

Today is the halfway point for 30 days of worship. Can you believe we made it this far?

I promise I have a worship song for us today, but first, I would like to share some of my thoughts about worship styles, music, and more.

I grew up in a traditional church setting. Some might describe it as liturgical or 'high worship'. We had organ music, choirs, and bell choirs, we wore robes and had candles. We followed an order of worship that included multiple Bible readings, responsive readings and songs, hymn singing, and choral anthems. The organist always started with a prelude and ended with a postlude. Many times the choir would open the service time with a choral call to worship and end with a sung benediction.

In my teen years, I was first exposed to 'contemporary' worship music. And it was intriguing. It felt like music for my young heart, with a touch of rebellion. But it was never explained to me why this 'style' was truly different.
Therefore, I continued to worship in a liturgical, traditional style.

Sometime in my 'desert' wandering, I had a conversation with a friend about contemporary worship versus traditional worship. His comment to me was 'If you can't distinguish between pop/rock music and sacred music, then you're not worshiping correctly.'
That stuck with me and somehow, I believed it. So I listened to worldly rock music during the week and sacred 'church' music on Sundays.

Somehow, though, I think that this division between music styles has diluted the 'why' of worship.

Worship is meant to be from the heart and sung to the Creator of the universe.

This leads me to my next point. Most music I heard and sang in traditional settings seemed to be 'about' God; songs that taught. Yet, as I transitioned to a 'contemporary' worship style, I found that many of the songs were songs 'to' God.
A big difference, but somehow I still didn't appreciate the difference in worship styles.

Then one day, I came across an article where the author explored the difference between modern 'contemporary' worship music and 'traditional' worship music.

He stated that the contemporary was more than just worship with guitars and drums. That it came out of a heartfelt and honest expression of love for God. It came out of the Charismatic movement of the 60s and the Jesus People movement of the 70s.
This was music that was written by people who weren't raised in the church but came to know and love God profoundly.

It was simple and sometimes repetitive. But it helped these new believers in trying, as they may, to show their love to God. These were fast-growing and large communities of new believers, and somehow they caught the attention of the mainstream church. which thought that the 'magic' was somehow in the use of guitars, drums, and contemporary-sounding music. So they copied the 'form' of worship, but somehow still missed the 'function' of worship.

In my personal worship experience, over the past decade, I have found times when I felt God's presence in an anthem or old hymn. But my experience of His presence has been more profound in some of the 'repetitive, contemporary' music. Why? Because in simpler repetitive songs, I can shut my brain off and work from my heart. Big difference, for me.

Yes, I believe God wants my brain, too. But in worship, my brain asks too many questions. Wants too many answers. Get's easily sidetracked and distracted. But when my heart begins to sing to God - oh it is so wonderful and glorious.

This is how we are to be with our Creator - heart to heart.
The 'deep' of our heart, crying out to the 'deep' of His. (Psalm 42:7 [NASB])

Today's song is Bethel Music's 'Deep Cries Out'.

As you go forward, with your preferred worship style, try finding moments of His presence in everything you sing and do.

~~Ken

#monthofworship #BethelMusic #Psalm42:7 #praisinggod2023 #30DaysOfWorship