3 Steps to Creating Unity in Worship
Music is Everywhere! There is almost no place you can go to escape it. With the rise of streaming platforms over the past decade with a simple voice command, the average person has access to more content than they could ever hope to hear in their entire life. Thanks to air pods, smart speakers, and bluetooth, we now can control the soundtracks of our lives in just about every space we could imagine. Well, almost every space. In a world where music style is so personalized, it’s no wonder that in many churches, there exist conflicts over styles in worship. Unifying a congregation in the midst of diverse musical styles can be a daunting task, yet not impossible.
Let me offer three essential steps to help navigate the “worship wars” at your church.
1. Remember Our Calling.
Firstly, we must remember our calling. Jesus’ words in Matthew 28 are explicit to His followers; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We cannot be effective sharers of the gospel if we are disunified as a body. Dwight L. Moody once stated, “I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided.” His words echo an Ephesians 4:6 instruction toward church the to make “every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Singing is one of the most powerful tools God has given the church to create unity. Throughout the Psalms, God’s people are called to sing together (Psalm 5:11, 35:18, 95:1, 34:3, 21:13). When I unite with my brother or sister to lift up God’s name in corporate worship, it reminds us of the God Who saved us, and unifies us around the truths of scripture. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand any disagreement in the church, which isn’t around a major fundamental of the faith as secondary to our mission. Conflict over musical styles is simply that — a conflict around style. It is not a theological argument as some may persuade. We must not sacrifice our effectiveness for the gospel over such “petty arguments” as Paul describes in 2 Timothy 2:23, such as which musical style a song should be played in. The gospel is so much bigger than just my musical preference; it is the hope of the world. A unified church has the power great power to accomplish God’s mission. Jesus, Himself stated that the gates of Hell will not be able to stand against it. We must be diligent in protecting our calling to be a unified force for the gospel.
2. Sing in Love.
The second way we unify a congregation amid diverse musical styles is to sing in love. In John 13:35, Jesus states, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, by your love for one another.” When God’s people worship together, we demonstrate our love for one another. This means that although I may sing some songs on Sunday that I wouldn’t necessarily have picked, I can lay down my personal preference out of love for fellow congregants because I know my worship is not about me. When we sing songs together, we are encouraging each other with the truths of scripture. Ephesians 5:19 instructs believers to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a powerful picture of a John 13 love!
When we sing scripture over each other, we are not only serving each other in song, but we are building up the body of Christ. When God’s people worship together, it is an act of service for those in the church and a witness to those outside. Psalm 34 reminds us of this when it says, “as I glory in the Lord, those who are afflicted will see and hear, and they will rejoice.” Through my praise, others will come to know Jesus and be encouraged! When we sing together, we lift a collective testimony of God’s goodness in the lives of His people. Psalm 5:11 says, “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy…that those who love your name may exult in you.” We should look for opportunities to serve our congregations, and that begins with singing in love.
3. Elevate the Priority of Worship Above Everything Else
Lastly, and most importantly, unity in our worship will only come about when we elevate the priority of worship above everything else. Above all, God is worthy and deserving of my worship; musical style and preference shouldn’t hinder my response. Romans 11:36 says, “From Him and through him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!” Need I say more? God’s worthiness is so much higher than anything I could offer Him and is certainly above my musical susceptibilities. There should be nothing that takes precedence over my worship of my Creator. Everything else fades away when I look to my God because there is nothing and no one Who is more worthy of praise. The danger of intentionally declining to worship Him due to a preference is that by doing so, I take God off the throne of my life and put myself there instead. I am essentially elevating my own feelings above the worth of God and begin to worship Jericho Taetz rather than God. When we worship together, the worthiness of God far outweighs any musical style or musical inclination I may hold. Subsequentially, holding the worship of God above everything else causes me to surrender my own will and preference in order to come together with the body to lift up His name.
So what now?
Disagreements around musical style have plagued the church for centuries and, in the worst of cases, have ripped churches apart and rendered them ineffective for the advancement of the gospel. We must be diligent in guarding our corporate worship times to create an environment where God’s people are able to express their praise. By remaining gospel-centered on our calling, singing with love, and elevating the priority of worship above everything else, we can begin to facilitate unity in our worship services that is both beneficial to our congregations and honoring to God.
