A friend recently asked, “Could someone define the ‘old time way/religion’ to me?” My friend is a long term pastor with a heart to reach the next generation and is struggling with a cultural “tug-o-war.” Of course, he is not alone. Most established churches are experiencing this conflict. Traditional Protestant churches are struggling with emergent and emerging churches. Many Roman Catholics are struggling with the changes in their new Roman missal. Many established Pentecostal churches are struggling with changes in music and worship styles. In order to meet the challenge, it has become normal for many churches to have two morning worship services – a contemporary worship service and a traditional worship service. Other churches are trying to meet the challenge with “blended worship” (my preference). In many cases, churches have just given up and made a choice. These churches embrace “contemporary worship” or “traditional worship” exclusively. The battle anthem of the traditionalist has become “Give me that old time religion!” On the other hand the emergents are always singing “a new song to the Lord.” One group exhorts, “Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15); and the other group declares, “[You are] invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down” (Mark 7:13).
I do not pretend to be wise enough to bring peace to the worship wars, but I will try to bring some clarity to the discussion.
We need tradition – the “old time way.” As the people of Israel prepared to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land they heard once again from their leader, Moses. Again and again the people were challenged with the word “Remember.”
“Remember the days of old, consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you” (Deuteronomy 32:7).
Their fathers died in the wilderness because of unbelief. For the new generation the greatest temptation was to forget the lessons of the Exodus. During the wilderness wandering they did not practice circumcision or observe the Passover. They were in grave danger of losing their identity as the covenant people of God. The call to remember was a call to faith. That’s why Paul encourages us to “hold to the traditions.” One of my greatest concerns with the emergent/emerging movements is their devaluing of tradition. The Tradition of which I speak is respect for the inspiration of Scriptures, the Nicene rule of faith, and sacraments. In truth, both sides of the issue have missed the point. Biblical worship is more than “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” The very fact that most of the conversation regarding worship is about music demonstrates a serious misunderstanding about “worship in Spirit and truth.” Biblical worship also requires the proclamation of the Word, prayer, and sacraments. Yes, we need “the old time way.” We need songs that inspire and inform believers. We need sermons that are passionate and which provoke conviction. We need prayer at the altar that expresses the brokenness and desperation of the soul. We need nourishment at Table of the Lord and we must confess our sins to one another as we wash feet. We must preserve sacred memory for the sake of future generations.
We need continuous, genuine renewal. The people of Israel wandered for forty years in the wilderness, traveling in circles, going nowhere. If they were going to inherit the Promised Land, they had to do something different. The same voice that challenged them to “Remember” also declared, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and set your journey…” (Deuteronomy 1:6-7). As we remember the past we must always be looking forward. In fact, the glory of the church is not in our past, but in the future. The church of the future is “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Revelation 7:9). The heavenly church is comprised of hundreds of generations – people who have believed through the ages. The mission of the Holy Spirit is to guide the church throughout the ages until the return of our Lord. In other words, the Spirit moves the church from age to age, from place to place, from generation to generation. The point of this is that as the Spirit moves the church must move. One of my favorite quotes from Irenaeus (2nd century bishop of Lyons) states, “Our faith having been received from the church, we do preserve, and which always, by the Spirit of God, renewing its youth, as if it were some precious deposit in an excellent vessel, causes the vessel itself containing it to renew its youth also.” The ancient bishop understood something that seems to elude many of us. First, we have received the Faith through the Spirit-formed church. The ancient faith is a treasure which endures the ages. Second, the same Spirit that inspired the ancient faith also renews the Faith, so that the Faith is forever youthful. Irenaeus knew that the Spirit who is continuously moving in the church would provoke renewal movements. New moves of the Spirit will inspire new songs, new forms of liturgy, and new technologies that will be faithful to the ancient Faith. The problem is that like the blowing of a strong wind, renewal movements are messy.
So, how do we negotiate the tension between the necessity of Tradition and Renewal? I’m not wise enough to be certain, but here are some of my best guesses. First, some emergent/emerging church leaders have passion for mission but little depth in the Faith. Some traditionalists have depth in the Faith, but little passion for the mission of Christ. So, the renewal of worship must promote sincere discipleship and passionate mission. Second, Spirit-led renewal will embrace all generations and exclude none! We must resist the tendency to segregate generations in worship for any reason. Worship services should be events in which grandparents and grandchildren worship together. That means the songs of John Wesley and Chris Tomlin should be sung by all generations. Spirit-led renewal should be marked by love and promote unity, tolerance, and patience.
This is a subject I have commented on, but my emotionalism concerning it made me seem more angry and negated anything good I would have said, so I just took my grandpa’s advice and shut up. You made it clear, both sides, that is good. I have listened to some of the beautiful new music and felt the anointing with which it was written, however, a lot of it seems to have come from a music mill where someone was told to come up with three new songs for the latest album. I am not one that says we have to stick to all the old hymns, and when I say hymns it includes the old Gospel and Southern Gospel tunes, but does it have to be new for the sake of being new? If it doesn’t move my soul (and please don’t come back with “we shouldn’t be soulish or have to feel something”, we are flesh and something has to break the tight hold our flesh has so our soul is free to worship. I used to tell my choir that a song was the plow we use to break up the hard ground of the stubborn spirit so that the seed of the Word could be planted in it and grow. Thank you, this was wonderful!
Dan I agree with you 100%..as a musician in the house of the Lord for years I can tell you that it is this “seeker friendly” hog wash that is watering down the raw power we have…Elvis knew it..His biggest selling album was his gospel album at a time when rockabilly was “wild’…no need to reinvent the wheel,,,people need the real…stipped down mean gospel again…old school with a new twist,,,this has been in my spirit for months,,,thanks for having the guts to adress this issue…We are called out to be differnt and lead the world back to Christ…And a new meets Old sound should be on the Menu!
Love you, Mark! I know your heart. May God grant the desires of your heart as you follow after Him.
When we God’s people come together to seek The Presence of Our Lord, modern or traditional…He shows up. I believe just like there are diverse colors and nations, there is diversity in the body. We need all the church the old and the new. I prefer the new songs but give me any one that ushers in God’s Spirit and I am elated. Living water is just that smile..fills the thirsty soul. I often pray what Jesus said in the Garden “Make us one as God and Christ are one”. We need to boot out the staunch the proud and the predjudice. Where God is there is Liberty. I belong to a church that uses only the “old church hymnals” I want to say from the 20′s idk. But in the midst of it all, I sing a song or two that I learned as I grew in The Lord. I am glad God gives me that Liberty. When we quit growing we die.
We recently did a study on Wed. nights about the Church on the Otherside… it was interesting to see the PURE FEAR in the “old time” believers of any mention of change or “new worship”… I agree that there HAS to be a medium somewhere that can co-exist, but both sides have to willing to give and unfortunately in MOST of our churches that isn’t happening. My problem is we spend more time arguing over what type of songs should be sung and what outreach should or should not be done that we miss the point that there is a LOST and DYING world around us!
Dan I greatly value your keen sense of balance and love for our Lord’s Church and your sincere desire to see it continue with success. As a missionary to the poor, I am itinerate and in different congregations and I am very blessed to be in different denominations about twice each month. In my humble opinion, what most of this boils down to is preference and style. In the worship war. It is not about worship. It is simply about style. A battle over style. When the scripture tells us that we should prefer our brother, and it appears that we are all demanding our own way. In reality the old folks should say, “these young people could be anywhere today, but they chose to come here, I hope that we sing those jump and down songs for these young folks.” And the young folks should be saying, “You know these old folks kept this thing going for all of these years and we should honor them and respect them. We are only here a couple of hours each week, I hope that we sing hymns for them this Sunday.” This emergent camp acts as if they are the first to care for the poor. Most every school and hospital that has been around, for any length of time, were started by Christians. Almost all of the charities that are going, were started by these old Christians. In the Christian charity that I direct the bulk of the funds, volunteers and support comes from older folks. If a young person does come in they need a letter proving that they volunteered so they can get a discount or scholarship with an organization started by someone older. Some only come in on company days, when they receive pay to work. Not all mind you, but a lot. What most of this boils down to cultural and generational issues. Bull headedness from every front. I am not old enough to be a hymnbook dinosaur and I am not young enough to be flashing lights and smoke machine worshipper, but I am wise enough to see the value in both.