The Worship Setting
Tradition and preference can work together
Church worship services can take many forms, from informal gatherings to traditional services and contemporary services. Most people have a preference for which setting they attend. For some, if they are not in the right setting they feel they can’t worship properly. But why should it matter?
While I lived in Colorado in the early 2000s, I attended a church in Estes Park. They called the passing of the peace, “halftime.” A friend at church with me one day said it was too distracting for him.
My question is, whether it’s a traditional service with organs and choirs or a more contemporary service with a band or an impromptu gathering, why should it matter what the setting or context is?
I’ve heard someone say that the guitars in the worship band are too distracting and he prefers the organs of the traditional service. We’ve created this idea for ourselves that there is even a traditional way to worship. Considering that stringed instruments predate the organ, who is to say which way is more traditional? We have a tendency to make our church sanctuaries overly ornate and the organ pipes fit that mold, but guitars and drums are beautiful in their own right.
I grew up in a traditional church environment with pianos and organs and choirs. I…
