I admit that I do miss the hymns. They were a very influential part of my Christian growth and the Lord often brings them back to my mind at times when I need their messages. But I also enjoy many of the new worship choruses. I've learned to adjust to and accept the new approach, even though I do miss the old.
My only complaint with the choruses is that almost weekly new ones are introduced and after a few weeks they are forgotten, never to be sung again. Think about it. How many of the choruses sung in your church a year ago do you remember and are still sung today? With hymns we sang them so often over the years from hymn books that they became part of our memory so that they could be recalled by the Holy Spirit in times of need. Will that happen in the future for this generation of worshippers who now sing choruses which have a very limited life span? That is my major complaint about the new worship music.
But surprise, the music is not my complaint nor the theme of this blog. My complaint is not the fault of worship leaders but the fault of worship attenders. And it is interesting that my complaint was shared recently in a secular column in the local newspaper by a Robert Olson. The article was "Sometimes It's Good To Seek Our Silence".
After a discussion about the need for silence, he wrote the following. "There was a time when you could go to church and experience silence. Now, my time before the service is spent listening to myself and others catching up on the busyness that we are all part of. In spite of numerous pleas on the part of worship leaders, the noise at the beginning of the service is almost as great as the noise at the end of the service. It appear that many worshipers prefer noise to silence." And to this I add, right on!
For many years I always used the time before worship services to meditate, pray and prepare my heart for the service. It was quiet in the sanctuary and others did the same thing. It was a key part of my worship. But times have changed. Now we have very noisy discussions going on about all sorts of things that could easily be left for after the service. It's almost like before a sporting event.
The prelude has always been important to me. I still try to listen to it to prepare for worship, but usually it is impossible. People stop by to chat, even when I am trying to listen to the musicians, especially my wife. Now I know that my wife, as well as our other musicians, spend hours preparing for the prelude. Dianne will spend many hours over several weeks to prepare for a 15 minute prelude. But few listen and when the chatter gets louder and she tries to play louder for the few who are actually listening, the talkers just talk louder. And that is a fact. It is not only rude to those who have practiced and are trying to minister, but it is rude to those who are trying to listen and meditate. One former assistant pastor told me that to him the prelude is just background music. And I guess, for most today, that must be the case.
But to me, starting the worship service without an adequate time of heart preparation is like an athlete being sent into the game without a chance of properly warming up.
The older one gets the more you experience change - some good, some not so good. And when you think a change is not so good, there isn't much that you can do but try to adapt. Becoming critical or even bitter is the wrong reaction. And I guess that I must continue to adapt to what is happening today with service preludes since few appear to be concerned about it. And I may be the only person in the whole congregation who misses the time of prayerful meditation before the worship service. I guess I have probably become a dinosaur among church attenders.
But I will go on trying to listen to the prelude - especially when my wife is playing - praying and trying to prepare my heart for the service. And if you stop by to talk, I won't be rude. I will still try to answer and be kind to you. But please let your conversation be important and relevant, not about sports, politics or the news. Leave those topics for us to discuss after the service.
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