This really has gotten a lot of responses—including one from a worship leader—so maybe it's a good time to bring up some other related issues. Music & worship has been a sticking point with me for a long time.
I've attended denominational churches that used hymnals with old, traditional music and sometimes just had a piano. Now, I attend a "happy clappy" church with a worship leader and team, with song words on an overhead screen—a typical contemporary non-denominational church. When I was in the earlier churches, I thought the worship was very dry and lifeless. Now that this is all I get, I find myself wishing for some of the old songs. Since my favorite music is classical, what I really enjoy is an organ and a choir. So, what would be best for me is probably a mix of all those in the worship. Of course, that's impossible. Each church has a way of conducting worship, and if it doesn't suit you, you simply move on to someplace that has what you like. That's one of the great privileges in this country. It's just that what I think would be best doesn't exist.
I think the contemporary worship style is intended to appeal to the people who have had unfulfilling—or even bad—experiences in traditional churches, and may be lost to the church otherwise (the church is saying, "We're not like those others that turned you off"). I also think it's intended to appeal to people who like lively, energetic, enthusiastic, joyous singing—people who are extroverted in that way and want release. That's all great if that describes you.
Sometimes, the contemporary worship seems like a pep rally—get people worked up for Jesus. Worship leaders and pastors sometimes make it a point to encourage the people to be less inhibited in their worship. There's even a song called "Undignified" based on how David danced when he brought in the Ark and said, "I will become even more undignified than this." This approach to worship has some merit, but I have to wonder if it's also part of a strategy based on a determination that this is good for people psychologically. Maybe for some, it's meant to be a distraction or diversion—to get people out of the ordinary.
An issue I have with contemporary worship music is that it's one stanza done over and over and over and over...unlike the old songs that had at least four stanzas. Modern songs seem to lack depth, and they certainly weren't as hard to write. Do leaders think fluff and staying on the surface is better? Let's not engage the mind too much? Maybe so.
Another thing I feel personally is that a worship leader and team are superfluous. All I need is the words and music. If I'm looking at the words, I'm not paying attention to the performance up front.
All these things give me the feeling of being disregarded. It doesn't edify me.
Now, all that having been said about my issues with contemporary worship, there's something I've had to examine: am I making this all too much about me? Should any of this matter, as long as the Father and Jesus are being glorified? Am I looking for the worship to please me? Should that have any importance? Legitimate questions, I think. So, lately, I've been setting all that aside as best I can and go along with what's presented. I've tried to set aside my tastes and my preferences and my objections—to get away from me. Maybe that's what I need to do.
