The more I write about traditional worship, the more I realize the reflections should and must include contemporary worship as well.  Especially at Corinth.

Last week I began by noting that the reason we have traditional worship is the same reason we have contemporary worship.  Some followers of Jesus prefer it.  Neither one is necessarily more right or wrong.  I am convinced God is not sitting in heaven saying, “I like this one, but that one turns me off.”  I rather believe he loves the sincere heart response of his people.

He also loves it when we learn to be less critical and condescending of others in matters of personal preference and taste.  Our worship preferences are shaped by many factors, some of which no more “spiritual” than how we were raised – or perhaps a reaction to how we were raised.

Here’s a perspective on worship that your pastors share whether we lead traditional, contemporary, or blended worship – or all of them.

Soren Kierkegaard, a nineteenth century Danish philosopher and theologian, commented in “Purity of Heart” that worship is like a drama.  We tend to think of the worship leader as the actor being prompted silently by God so that he can perform well for the congregation – the audience.

But that’s not how we should think of worship.  God is the audience – we “perform” for him.  The worship leader is the prompter, and the congregation is, collectively, the “actor.” 

When you come to church, the most important connection that is made is between your heart and the heart of God.  You sing to him, you give to him, to listen to him, you talk to him, you engage him spirit to Spirit.  That’s worship.  My role, and the role of every other speaker, musician, and technician is to facilitate, to prompt, that heart response.

That’s not contemporary.  It’s not traditional.  It’s not blended.  It’s good worship-ology.