A Perspective on Worship Wars
Without a doubt, music in the church is one of the most controversial issues facing the American church. Disunity abounds in churches today, as those enamored with organ music and those defiantly chained to their guitar amps stand toe to toe, buckle to buckle, and, ironically, sing together, I Shall Not Be Moved. People will tolerate shoddy preaching, excuse inept handling of God’s Holy Word, and even permit false doctrine. But to parody Merle Haggard, “When you’re running down my music, man, you’re walking on the fightin’ side of me.” Suffice it to say that music is the highest passion for a great many people in today’s churches.
Problematic? Try catastrophic.
Walk with me through this. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Any positive thing we do that brings God glory can be identified as worship. One of the most fantastic ways we can worship God is to cause others to see Him for who He is and have them join us in glorifying Him; this multiplies His worshipers, and therefore His worship. Jesus Himself prayed that his followers would be unified so the world would know that God sent Him. Our unity testifies to Christ’s identity, His love, and His greatness. God uses this testimony to create for Himself new worshipers, increasing His glory.
Are you with me so far?
The main problem today is that music has become synonymous with worship. Since music is viewed as the only way to worship God, a divisive battle rages over which ‘worship style’ most glorifies Him. Ironically, by attempting to ‘give God the greatest glory’ (which is really only a veiled attempt to see our own desires satisfied), we are denying God glory by our disunity. Even more ironic is that in our crusade to justify certain worship styles because of their appeal to the culture, we actually drive culture further from God by our division.
Still think music is the most important thing?
When passion for a musical style is greater than the desire to see God glorified, the object of worship has shifted. The issue of music ceases to be merely problematic and becomes idolatrous. To be sure, there are issues to be discussed regarding music in corporate worship. But in every discussion, in every debate, the glory of God must be the one thing that will not, that cannot, be sacrificed.
The ‘saving grace’ in all this mess is that God is jealous for His own glory and will not be denied what He is due. God is the only being in existence for whom the pursuit of His own glory is not a sin. He will be glorified; He will draw those to Him whom He has chosen. We may fail, but God never fails.
Let us, then, not make much of music. Let us make much of God.
Problematic? Try catastrophic.
Walk with me through this. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Any positive thing we do that brings God glory can be identified as worship. One of the most fantastic ways we can worship God is to cause others to see Him for who He is and have them join us in glorifying Him; this multiplies His worshipers, and therefore His worship. Jesus Himself prayed that his followers would be unified so the world would know that God sent Him. Our unity testifies to Christ’s identity, His love, and His greatness. God uses this testimony to create for Himself new worshipers, increasing His glory.
Are you with me so far?
The main problem today is that music has become synonymous with worship. Since music is viewed as the only way to worship God, a divisive battle rages over which ‘worship style’ most glorifies Him. Ironically, by attempting to ‘give God the greatest glory’ (which is really only a veiled attempt to see our own desires satisfied), we are denying God glory by our disunity. Even more ironic is that in our crusade to justify certain worship styles because of their appeal to the culture, we actually drive culture further from God by our division.
Still think music is the most important thing?
When passion for a musical style is greater than the desire to see God glorified, the object of worship has shifted. The issue of music ceases to be merely problematic and becomes idolatrous. To be sure, there are issues to be discussed regarding music in corporate worship. But in every discussion, in every debate, the glory of God must be the one thing that will not, that cannot, be sacrificed.
The ‘saving grace’ in all this mess is that God is jealous for His own glory and will not be denied what He is due. God is the only being in existence for whom the pursuit of His own glory is not a sin. He will be glorified; He will draw those to Him whom He has chosen. We may fail, but God never fails.
Let us, then, not make much of music. Let us make much of God.
