WHY DO WE STILL USE HYMNS IN WORSHIP?
How often I have heard the comment we are just not ready for contemporary worship... maybe the next generation...
In the early 1950s, the catholic Taizé Community in France started to attract youth from several religious denominations with worship hymns based on modern melodies.
In the 1950s and 60s the Church began to place particular emphasis on reaching the youth. Christian Unions in university environments hosted evangelistic talks and provided biblical teaching for their members, Christian cafes opened with evangelistic aims, and church youth groups were set up. Amateur musicians from these groups began playing Christian music in a popular idiom. Some Christians felt that the Church needed to break from its stereotype as being structured, formal and dull to appeal to the younger generation.
We often perceive the Catholic Church as following the contemporary path but in truth it actually lead it. GO FIGURE :) even prior to the Charismatic Movement contemporary worship began. How often have you heard the statement "that contemporary stuff is for those Charismatics, Third Waver's, etc.?"
Just to be clear here are some of the younger founding fathers of contemporary worship in the US that I know/knew -
Barry McGuire - Born 1935 - Age 77
Larry Norman - Born 1947 - Passed Away In 2008 Cancer
Keith Green - Born 1953 - Died In A Plane Crash 1982
Dallas Holm - Born 1947 - Age 65
Matthew Ward - Born 1958 - Age 55
Now tell me what generation should we be reaching out to??? I can remember when I was a child (I am 52) when many churches began to move toward more modern versions of the bible because of archaic language. Now I love the King James Bible but rarely do I use it. My kids cannot understand the language and none of us have spoken that form of the Kings English for... well let’s just say over 100 years.
To communicate the gospel in a language that is understood is critical. I would hope most people see the truth in that statement. Communication and how we communicate will make or break our witness. Yes the Holy Spirit leads the understanding but He also asks for the application of our wisdom as the vessel He operates through.
Musical worship is a form of communication. So many who resist change in this form of communication have forgotten the importance of communicating in a way that can be understood, that is relevant to the current generation, and the ones coming. Again I love the King James Bible, and I love Hymns but neither speaks in a modern language nor reaches the ears or the hearts of a modern man as effectively “in most cases” as current modern languages do.
We may say we want to reach the community, the region, the world but unless we begin to communicate in ways that others will understand we put an unnecessary burden on the Holy Spirit. Who will make up the differences in our communication barriers because of our unwillingness to be all things to all people? We are indeed selfish if we do not change in a way that communicates effectively with our current generation.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT :) Pastor Dan
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. (1Co 9:19-23) NASB
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1Co 9:19-23) NIV
For although I am free in every way from anyone's control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ]. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law. To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God and lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within and committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ]. And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it and share in its [blessings along with you]. (1Co 9:19-23) AMP
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. (1Co 9:19-23) NASB
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1Co 9:19-23) NIV
For although I am free in every way from anyone's control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ]. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law. To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God and lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within and committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ]. And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it and share in its [blessings along with you]. (1Co 9:19-23) AMP
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