Jump directly to the Content

A STRUCTURE RUNS THROUGH IT

Contemporary worship that flows is flexible, but it isn't random.

Some musicians, not to mention some longtime church members, find the move to worship choruses in today's churches threatening.

Organists, for example, can have difficulty getting the proper feel for choruses with a pipe organ, and they fear they will eventually find themselves on the periphery of the music ministry.

Others, raised on traditional hymns, find choruses repetitive and boring, the free-flowing praise format undisciplined and aimless.

At the same time, still others find the "hymn / announcements / hymn / offering" order of service disjointed and distracting. And some younger musicians don't identify with the style of hymns and gospel songs, and they contend that hymns and choruses don't mix.

All are legitimate concerns. Can they be allayed? Yes!

I'm not out to persuade anyone to adopt any particular style, but I believe we benefit by understanding and occasionally blending the strengths of diverse styles. If we become more comprehensively skilled, we are more valuable instruments ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Live from REVEAL: Bill Hybels on Self-Centered Christians
Live from REVEAL: Bill Hybels on Self-Centered Christians
Jumping the chasm between self-centered and Christ-centered faith.
From the Magazine
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
While reporting in Israel, photographer Michael Winters captures an unusually vacant experience at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close