Traditional or Contemporary worship

[HermanNeutics13]

I have always been a proponent of traditional worship, I find it tends to be more Biblically focused. I came across this article today and want to hear what people think.
http://thefirstpremise.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/why-non-liturgical-worship-cannot-be-lutheran/

 

[filosofer]

Kilcrease makes some good points. But he also is sloppy in his use of terms. He uses contemporary worship and non-liturgical worship interchangeably. His critique of “praise music” is selective at best. Several portions of the liturgical service are strictly praise. Do we then discard them? I think Nathan (infanttheology) has some good critiques of Kilcrease’s post.

For more than 30 years I have led worship in very traditional settings as well contemporary/blended settings. But the key elements of worship (Invocation, Confession/Absolution, Scripture readings, Sermon, Creed, Prayer, Lord’s Supper, Benediction) are always present. And I am as selective about hymns, even some in TLH, LW as I am about contemporary songs; I have avoid those that do not necessarily reflect good theology.

Just an old codger reflecting.

 

[Ministrymama]

I strongly prefer "blended" worship style. My church offers one traditional and 2 blended services on Sunday morning. The traditional is fairly well attended, 60-75 people, mostly by our oldest church members, families and baby-boomers generally attend the later 2 services with 80-100 per service.
I have attended all 3 services, the only changes I noticed from the traditional to blended are a lack of call and response and a change in music from all hymns to hymns and praise music combined. The sermon is the same, Confession/Absolution, Scripture, Communion, etc. are all included.
I'm very glad my church offers both styles.

 

[HereIstand.Todd]

My thoughts are dont take away the liturgy even if you sing contemporary songs. I like both types of music so a blended service is good for me.

 

[Tangible]

My problem with contemporary or blended services is this: The Historic Liturgy is not broken, it doesn't need to be fixed. Appreciation of the liturgy grows with education and catachesis.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Chicago Folk Liturgy all the way!

 

[HereIstand.Todd]

I think the Liturgy is great and is indeed not broken, but a praise song once in awhile is ok. I really love it when the Liturgy is used and the pastor chants it as well. For some reason it loses something if it is just read.

 

[HereIstand.Todd]

I will say though that we used to go at a LCMS congregation and they went to all contempory music and it was too much and we left. I think they were trying to become like the non-denominational church down the road that brought in large numbers every Sunday. Maybe the traditional service is best in the long run and we should leave the praise songs to hearing them on the radio. Theres nothing wrong with having a praise and worship time in your own prayer time. Blessings to all and goodnight

 

[Ministrymama]

I used to attend a large LCMS church that had two traditional services in a beautiful sanctuary and 2 contemporary services in the gym on Sunday mornings. All the services were well attended and a lot of people liked to go to various services. The sermon was the same in all the services but the style was definitely different.
I strongly prefer blended services. I love the praise songs of contemporary Christian music as well as some hymns. I like the Confession and Absolution and love going to Communion at the alter verses cattle call style in a line.
I am glad there are various styles so that more people will come to church.

 

[nothingwithoutgrace]

My church does a traditional service at 8:15 and a contemporary at 10:45. The only difference in the two is the music. Readings, confession and absolution, prayers, and affirmation of faith is the same for both. We are a smallish church with about 120 attending regularly, and its split 1/3 traditional and 2/3 contemporary. I'm sure the times of service contribute some to that. We have maybe 4 or 5 that would prefer the traditional service, but are not willing to get moving that early.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I'm a die-hard traditionalist when it comes to worship services, but I'm not against contemporary if done right (for other people, not me!). The issue is that praise music that is considered contemporary isn't always the right kind of music and still can put a person's focus on the wrong thing.

I believe that there's an important message in EVERY hymn we sing that correlates to the readings and/or the sermon, and if there's songs that are being sung or played just because they sound cool, that can be a problem.

Presentation can also be a problem. I once listened to a praise band completely murder A Might Fortress is Our God, and it kinda ruined the moment.

 

[Ministrymama]

Good contemporary music can be found, the music minister needs to know what is appropriate and train the choir and musicians. Personally I have sung A Mighty Fortress in a more contemporary style and it was the most wonderful version I have ever heard, same goes for Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing, and It Is Well With My Soul. I love these songs when they are done well but can't stand them coming out like funeral dirges that no one can sing and sound like crap.
IMO singing to the Lord needs to be joyful and powerful and raise our hearts even as it bring us to our knees in awe of Him. I want music that moves me and humbles me before Him and makes me dance and weep before Him. If music makes me cringe because no one can sing it, or is so hard to sing no one can understand it I come away feeling unfulfilled on Sunday, to me that is not worship.

 

[Willie T]

I miss this kind of worship music....

Keith Green - Easter Song (live) - YouTube

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Good contemporary music can be found, the music minister needs to know what is appropriate and train the choir and musicians. Personally I have sung A Mighty Fortress in a more contemporary style and it was the most wonderful version I have ever heard, same goes for Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing, and It Is Well With My Soul. I love these songs when they are done well but can't stand them coming out like funeral dirges that no one can sing and sound like crap.
IMO singing to the Lord needs to be joyful and powerful and raise our hearts even as it bring us to our knees in awe of Him. I want music that moves me and humbles me before Him and makes me dance and weep before Him. If music makes me cringe because no one can sing it, or is so hard to sing no one can understand it I come away feeling unfulfilled on Sunday, to me that is not worship.

You're too focused on feelings. That's exactly the danger with contemporary music. You become so fixated on how you FEEL when worship is done that you miss the entire point.

I once had someone tell my husband that they didn't feel fulfilled after some of the church services because I didn't play the organ the way they wanted it played, or because they didn't like the hymns my husband had picked. That isn't how we're supposed to worship God. It's not about us and how we FEEL at all.

 

[Tangible]

You're too focused on feelings. That's exactly the danger with contemporary music. You become so fixated on how you FEEL when worship is done that you miss the entire point.

I once had someone tell my husband that they didn't feel fulfilled after some of the church services because I didn't play the organ the way they wanted it played, or because they didn't like the hymns my husband had picked. That isn't how we're supposed to worship God. It's not about us and how we FEEL at all.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

I would have to say that a lot of organists think that everything has to be played at funeral dirge speed. A Mighty Fortress and Jesus Christ is Risen Today are supposed to be played at a pretty decent tempo.

 

[Tigger45]

I like both contemporary and traditional. It depends on the specific theme of the service.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I would have to say that a lot of organists think that everything has to be played at funeral dirge speed. A Mighty Fortress and Jesus Christ is Risen Today are supposed to be played at a pretty decent tempo.

We are taught to play WITH the congregation, not necessarily FOR the congregation. And even that varies. There are certain songs that I will most certainly play at dirge speed because of the message being conveyed. Most lenten songs should not be played at Marching Band clip, although you'll find some members who think they should be. One particular Sunday, a substitute organist sped her way through Draw Near during communion and it was most jarring!

And of course there's the saying that you'll never please everyone and that's the honest truth when you're playing organ. Someone will ALWAYS complain, but they'll never step up to help play, either.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

When I became EO, my priest HATED the organ as it doesnt really work well with Byzantine chant and once asked me, "Brian, you were a Lutheran. How do you sabotage an organ?".

 

[Willie T]

Many of us at our church are too busy just worshiping God to really notice much of the technique being executed. And I'm usually hugging some of the old ladies during communion, so I don't mope through that at all.

Communion stopped being a morbid funeral at our church years ago.