This podcast explores the shift from traditional to contemporary worship styles in churches, highlighting the conflicts and controversies that arose. It emphasizes the importance of genuine worship and the connection between right belief and right worship. The speakers discuss the conflict between form and spiritual worship and the power of repetition and patterns in worship. They also touch on the significance of welcoming people into the church and the importance of formative influence in worship.
Worship practices have a profound impact on our beliefs, affections, and understanding of God, making it crucial to be intentional about how and when we worship.
The Jesus movement in the 1960s and 70s brought about significant changes in evangelical worship, sparking controversies and church splits, highlighting the importance of intentional choices in worship forms and styles.
Deep dives
Worship Shapes Us
Our worship experiences and environments, whether in a church or elsewhere, play a significant role in shaping our beliefs, affections, and understanding of God. Just like other places and activities, such as malls, sports stadiums, or academic institutions, worship spaces shape our desires and influences our understanding of salvation. Therefore, it's crucial to be intentional about our worship practices, including who, how, and when we worship.
The Impact of the Jesus Movement on Worship
The Jesus movement of the 1960s and 70s had a profound influence on evangelical worship practices, particularly in the realm of liturgies and music styles. Traditional worship with classical music began shifting towards a more informal style, incorporating praise choruses and rock-influenced instrumentation. This transition sparked controversies, even leading to church splits. However, the Jesus movement's impact on worship cannot be denied, as it brought about significant changes in evangelical churches across the country.
The Importance of Intentionality in Worship
Every church has a liturgy, a structure or pattern for worship, whether formal or informal. The structure of worship plays a vital role in shaping our understanding of God, the gospel, and our identity in Christ. The worship wars, which erupted in the 1980s and 90s, showcased the significance of intentional choices regarding worship forms and styles. While there may be tensions and differing preferences, it is crucial to carefully consider the formative influence of worship on our spiritual lives.
The Significance of Worship in Our Future
Worship is not just about the present, but it also plays a vital role in shaping the future of the Church. How we worship and the forms and styles we embrace in our worship services will have an impact on the generations to come. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to worship, giving due consideration to the formative influence it has on the Church's trajectory and the discipleship of believers. Worship leads us into the future, and it is crucial that we consider its role in shaping what that future looks like.
In the latter decades of the 20th century, many churches across the country shifted from a formal style of worship, with traditional and classical music, to a more informal style of worship, with praise choruses and rock-influenced instrumentation. These changes in worship didn’t happen without conflict. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, controversies became so heated in some churches that some observers began calling them “The Worship Wars.” Today, we may be well past the worst of the worship wars, but we’re never going to be in a season where discussions over what we do as gathered members of the body of Christ go away.
On this episode of Reconstructing Faith, join Trevin Wax as he considers the formative influence of how we worship and how that will affect what the future looks like.