Style or Sacrifice: Which vehicle will you choose?
Since the time I started driving as a teenager, I have personally owned 14 vehicles. To better explain, that is 14 vehicles over the course of 23 years’ worth of driving. Within that used car lot, the size has varied from a compact car to a large SUV. My favorite vehicle is the one I currently drive, a 2004 Nissan Titan. It’s a great balance of being enjoyable to drive and practically fulfilling what I need out of a vehicle.
Let’s say that because of my love for my truck, I concluded that trucks are the best choice of vehicle for everyone in all cases. Furthermore, I became very opinionated and decided that even though I already drive a truck, our family vehicle should also be a truck, even though my family would not fit inside. If I asked the opinion of someone who had no emotional attachment to my truck, they would probably argue that a minivan or SUV would actually be best suited for my family’s needs. They would tell me that even though I prefer trucks, it is acceptable and reasonable to own a vehicle other than a truck; my preference should not be our only option.
The same logic can be applied when discussing different styles of worship.
Whether it’s a worship pastor that prefers a specific style or vocally opinionated group of individuals within a church trying to make everyone adopt their preference, when we place our sole attention on the vehicle of worship instead of placing our attention on the object of worship (God), we take what was meant for God alone and warp it be centered around ourselves instead.
To think that one preferred style of worship is the only “vehicle” for us to worship God also has the same pitfalls as my hypothetical truck-centric worldview. In fact, when we look at what the New Testament discusses concerning corporate worship, we realize that it is a selfless act.
Romans 12:1 states, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The language of this text is clear; we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. When we present ourselves as a living sacrifice, our whole person is now offered to God, including our preferences. In this process of submitting our whole selves to God, our minds are transformed, and we can understand God’s will.
I personally believe that arguments involving the means of corporate worship all are centered around individuals resisting this call to present their whole selves to God as a sacrifice, including their preferences. When we choose to give everything over to God truly, that will also include our preferences, whether musical or in other areas of life.
It is our job as the Body of Christ to seek out unity with one another. Ephesians 4:4 reminds us that there is one Body and one Spirit; one faith and one baptism. In verse 3 we are urged to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. If the strength of our personal preference becomes an obstacle toward unity and peace within the Body, we must ask ourselves if God would want us to hold on to such a strong opinion. Is breaking peace within the Church worth it?
As a worship pastor or someone who contributes to the music chosen for a worship service, it is of the utmost importance that you lay aside your personal preference and instead adopt aiding the whole of your local congregation to connect with God. This requires selflessness and spiritual maturity; hopefully, if you are in a position to be choosing how worship is crafted, those attributes were requirements for the job long before song choices were. It is your job to know the congregation you serve. Learn what styles of music they listen to. Find songs and arrangements that build bridges between age and ethnicity within your congregation, all for the glory of God.
This is challenging work, but it is also necessary work to fulfill your God-given calling to develop a healthy, God-centered worship culture in for your church congregation. It has never been about us, but always about Him.
