More Thoughts on Worship

Disclaimer: It is not my purpose to perpetuate “worship wars” among the people, thus churches, of the ABA or any other group whose purpose is to love God first and love others as we love ourselves, and further to take the message of the Gospel to our own Jerusalem, Judea and the uttermost parts of the earth. My purpose is simply to attempt to change the focus and the passion from the earthly to the divine. For worship to become more about the object of our worship than the means or the methods.

God is good, God has been very good to me. He has blessed me with the opportunity to work with many awesome pastors, musicians, choirs and associated brothers and sisters on a church staff for more than 25 years. Additionally, I have been greatly influenced by God-honoring parents, pastors, teachers, and brethren in the years before God turned my heart toward ministry.

Music has always been an important part of my life, God’s music has been the greater part of that; from the children’s songs we sang in the basement of First Baptist Church of Bryant in Sunday School assembly, to the songs we sang on Teen Choir trips bedecked in pastel colors and butterfly bowties, to the songs we sang on Sunday night after church in homes of various friends (where Bro. Doug Swearingen would bring the milk crate of Heavenly Highway Hymnals out of the truck of his car), to the grand old hymns of the church that we sang every Sunday, to the music of the contemporary artists that filled my car as I drove to and from work and school. (That friends may be the longest run-on sentence in history!) But the point is that my foundation in worship music is quite varied and as a instrument player in Jr. High and High School band and a choir member in High School and the various organized choral groups growing up in the Lord’s churches, I gained an appreciation for almost every form, genre, of music. In high school I went through a phase where all I wanted to listen to was progressive jazz. My mother called it “Jeff’s Nervous Music”, because that’s what she heard in it rather than the non-standard rhythms, time signatures, chord progressions and improvisations that I enjoyed.

God continues to bless me, in that, I am able to enjoy and thus worship through quite a variety of musical types. The grand old hymns of the church are still very precious to me, as are the heart-pounding syncopations of 4-part Southern Gospel. I love to hear a soloist sing a song that has moved their heart as well as an instrumentalist use their God-given talent to bring a melodic offering of praise (be it a piano, a saxophone, a tuba, or anything else [see Psalm 150]).

I’ve employed that long introduction to say that I am blessed to be able to employ many different musical “vehicles” in order to bring worship to our Lord and not have the style of the music be something I cannot enjoy.

Since the word “vehicle” has been used, please allow me to develop/explain that illustration for a moment. My wife and I have two vehicles at this point; one is a 2004 Ford Expedition with over 200,000 miles on it, the other is a 2006 Toyota Avalon with nearly 200,000 miles. Thankfully, both of these cars are paid for and comfortable. Only a few short years ago I looked forward to owning a new pickup truck and/or a new sporty sedan [read Camaro]. But at this stage of my life I am hoping both of these vehicles that we own will continue to keep running for another couple 100,000 miles! Yes, my focus has changed! It is more valuable for me to save the money from a car payment(s) than to ride in a new vehicle. The goal is more on the destination than the vehicle.

I believe the same should be true in regards to musical worship. Everyone has their preferences and that, in itself, is not a problem, we are individuals - different from any and everybody else, but I believe the problem begins when we believe that our preferences should be considered above those anyone else. As a matter of fact, I believe that our focus during any and all worship is the object of our worship, Almighty God. I believe that if we were more attentive to bringing our worship and praise to God than “the vehicle” used to get it there, then these “worship wars” would become mute.

As I view postings, hear conversations, and read articles regarding worship styles, I see and hear lots of comments like, “I love the old songs”, “I can’t worship to these new choruses”, “I think church ought to be like it was back in the (insert decade)!”, and those on the other side of the aisle, "We should just let the old music die out", "The old hymns just don't cut it any more", and many, many more. What I don’t see and hear are questions and ponderings on what God might prefer, or even whether or not He might or might not approve of the non-participation during musical worship settings because of the “vehicle” employed (or not employed!)

This is not to remove any responsibility from the worship leader. Songs much be carefully chosen that are scripturally sound, able to be sung by the congregation, familiar (or at least properly introduced and taught) and an atmosphere of participation presented.

I wonder if our excuses for non-participation in worship, or worse - the complaints against the type of music that is used to encourage corporate worship are acceptable in the sight of the One we are to worship? We must guard our hearts and our minds so that worship is more about pleasing God than pleasing men.

Jeff Hulsizer, a worshipper