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“Worship in the 21St Century” -Rev. Joseph Hughes Introduction After 16 ½ Years As Pastor of Baptist Churches in Virginia

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“Worship in the 21St Century” -Rev. Joseph Hughes Introduction After 16 ½ Years As Pastor of Baptist Churches in Virginia “Worship in the 21st Century” -Rev. Joseph Hughes Introduction After 16 ½ years as Pastor of Baptist churches in Virginia, and 23 ½ years as a U.S. Army Chaplain, I have noticed the changing taste, tone, expectations, and increasingly lack of reverence for God, in the act of worship. I believe that several areas need to be addressed when thinking about the current “Worship Wars” going on in our Protestant denominations, i.e., what is frequently referred to as “Traditional” vs. “Contemporary” Worship. I was brought up in a Christian home; a home where the Bible was read every morning, and prayers said by each member of the family. And I distinctly remember the spiritually uplifting worship services at South Norfolk Baptist Church (SNBC) where my father was pastor, with the Evening Worship Service broadcast live on FM radio for many years. The services were accompanied by a pipe organ (one organist, Gwen Whitehurst, served over 25 years); and a Baldwin baby grand piano (Betty LeBlanc, pianist). Worship music was always inspiring, with use of the Baptist Hymnal. Revivals were held annually. The Lord blessed the work with Sunday School and Worship attendance averaging over 500 a week. (The auditorium utilizing all four of the side classrooms would seat 500). Contemporary vs. Traditional So, what is all the current brouhaha about “Contemporary” vs. “Traditional?” The statement, “We can use any contemporary music style in our praise and worship services, and God will accept it,” sums up the philosophy of the Contemporary P&W (Praise and Worship) movement. Such philosophy is a lie. It comes directly out of a teaching that is popular in contemporary churches: “God accepts us as we are.” But there is no biblical proof that God accepts anyone for “who he is.” God is not interested in our self-esteem. Jesus told the woman at the well, caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus expects us to “sin no more;” to show a change in our affections from idols to Him, and for us to turn from the lusts of the world, and love Him. To say, “we can come to God just as we are, and remain as we are, drag in our favorite worldly music tunes that are dressed up with so-called Christian words that repeat themselves ad nauseam; dress, and language into the church, and expect a blessing,” is off the mark. I contend that the 2 wholesale embracing of CCM (Contemporary Church Music) by many in church leadership is a direct consequence of our failure to confront and refute “acceptance” teaching. Perhaps many want to avoid being labeled as “legalists.” But they have traded biblical discernment for toleration of all forms of worldliness; so why should it come as any surprise that “anything goes” with music in the church? It all goes back to that big lie that “God accepts me as I am; therefore, He accepts my music.” Acceptance of CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) into worship services has hurt an entire generation of older Christians, has led to church splits, and has created a breeding ground for immorality, selfishness, and divisive attitudes in younger generations. And in the meantime, the church sinks into a morass of relativism. What we Wear to Worship What is the naked truth about clothes in worship? Folks can become too casual, too indiscreet or too revealing in our manner of dress when we gather for worship. I saw this happen at a chapel service I was conducting for young soldiers, who were allowed to come out-of-uniform in civilian clothes, and had to put an end to the revealing dress of some in the choir. The way we dress should be in keeping with or fitting with the occasion. I have never observed a person wearing flip-flops, jeans or shorts or other like clothing at the funerals or weddings I have conducted. But I’ve heard some say, "Well, it does not matter how you dress when you go to church." Of course, we understand the terminology, even though it is incorrect. We do not "go to church." "Church" is something that you were added to, if you are saved. (Acts 2:47). We attend the assemblies of the church. (Hebrews 10:25). But, is your attitude toward God what it should be? Our actions are a direct reflection of our attitudes. How we dress and conduct ourselves either shows reverence, awe love, faith, and trust toward God, or a lack thereof. We demonstrate our reverence by our actions. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22). Let us recognize the need for modesty and reverence (Genesis 3:6-11), understand that we are in a battle against worldliness (Romans 12:2), live as unattached from the world (1 John 2:15-17), and dress with a God-centered hope in 3 mind. These changes are part of a broad shift toward the convenient and comfortable. It's a shift we see on display every week in many church worship services, where casual wear is de rigueur. Jeans, shorts, tee shirts, tank tops, flip- flops or sandals: these draw scarcely any attention, while full dresses or a suit and tie appear strangely out of place. Relaxed, even rumpled informality is in; suiting up in our "Sunday best" is out. The question I want to raise here is what should we make of this shift in worship attire? What is really going on here? We deceive ourselves when we breezily claim that God does not care what we wear to church. God cares about our hearts, and what we wear is often an expression of our hearts. So what does our relaxed worship attire say about us? A bride would be insulted if we cared so little as to show up for her lovely wedding in cut-offs and sneakers. Instead, we "dress up" for her wedding to express our regard for her and the significance of the event. What, then, are we saying when we see no need to treat our corporate worship with similar or even greater regard? A casually dressed pastor, staff, and choir, lead to casual church members, with a casual approach to, and regard for, God. "Give unto the LORD the glory due his name," says the psalmist; "worship the LORD in the beauty of his holiness" (Ps. 29:2). Surely the "holiness" of our public worship should influence how we dress for the occasion. There is nothing remotely "casual" about the worship, taking place in heaven, where appropriate clothing seems to matter (Rev. 7:9–12). What do we reveal when we dress no differently for church than we do for a trip to the mall or hanging out with friends around a barbeque grill? Could it be that our casual dress, chosen merely for our own comfort and convenience (that which "cost me nothing"), is a reflection of an equally casual, can't-be-bothered ("what a nuisance this is!") attitude toward worship itself? Like it or not, those around us are constantly “reading” our appearance. Our clothing choices bear inevitable social and biblical implications; it is our visual testimony. One pastor I saw, not so long ago, in a restaurant, dressed in sloppy, casual clothes, “sent” the wrong message to the unsaved. "Let each of you look not only to his own interests," says the apostle Paul, "but also to the interests of others" (Phil. 2:3–4, ESV). I still remember the young woman who came to a Wednesday night Prayer Service at South Norfolk, to audition for the position of church pianist in the 4 1970’s. She wore “hot pants.” Needless to say, that was her one and only time to play in SNBC. The church must first shape its worship to honor God, a goal to which all else must be subordinate. But thankfully, watching believers do what they do can have its own evangelistic effect. When Christians are worshiping as they should, says the apostle Paul, and "and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you" (1 Cor. 14:24–25). Attire that genuinely reflects a God-honoring attitude toward worship may well contribute to a similar result. The scriptures are a warning that the glib assumption that “God does not care about what we wear to church” or “what I choose to wear for worship doesn't matter” or “how I dress for church is a purely personal affair” or “my own convenience and comfort are all that need concern me.” The reality is, one of the ways we express ourselves as human beings is by the way we dress. Wittingly or unwittingly, our clothing gives us away. God certainly does not need this expression to know our hearts. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” Except for certain Anglicans, I'm sure most of us would agree that clown suits are generally inappropriate attire for church. “User Friendly” Music “We are trying to reach the un-churched,” is a common excuse used for bringing “CCM” (Contemporary Church Music) into the worship service. Using CCM is a smoke screen obscuring the real reason: the “worship leader” (hand- picked by the pastor) and his “praise team” simply want to use their music in the church which has the same self-centered, self-indulgent spirit of the 1960s and 70s, but it has been given a veneer of Christian dedication.
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