Dear Church,
Contemporary worship
I read Jonathan Aigner's open letter to the Church with dismay and curiosity. I am a 55 year-old Baby Boomer who enjoys contemporary worship, but I’m not sure if I am "still stuck in my rebellion against the establishment," as Jonathan puts it. I’ve actually been part of the establishment for most of my life. I have been an ordained United Methodist pastor for nearly 30 years. I grew up in the UMC, attended a United Methodist-related college and a United Methodist seminary. I’ve served as lead pastor at the same United Methodist Church for 20 years. Every Sunday we worship in both traditional and contemporary styles.
Jonathan contends that he and other Millennials prefer traditional liturgical worship. I say, "Good for you." Most United Methodist Churches offer traditional worship. But I need help understanding why it's necessary to harshly criticize and condemn the contemporary worship style that does not resonate with some preferences. I thought Millennials were all about being tolerant and being non-judgmental. I thought one of the things that Millennials hate about Christians of previous generations is that they tended to be too harsh, too close-minded, and too quick to judge what didn’t fit their narrow perspective. Perhaps it wasn't intended that way, but Jonathan's open letter feels a bit condescending and judgmental to me.
Setting aside the pejorative language used to describe the contemporary worship, the other assumptions that contemporary worship -- fog machines, booming audio and good coffee – are done as a marketing scheme to try and reach Millennials is just plain wrong.
Here is the truth: Contemporary is just a worship style. No one has to like it, no one has to join the band or sing "Shout to the Lord" unless he or she wants. That’s the beauty of variety. Contemporary worship obviously doesn’t appeal to everyone. No problem. Enjoy traditional liturgy.
However, I find confusing the claim that contemporary worship "hasn’t worked." If by that Jonathan means that it "hasn’t worked" in reaching everyone among the Millennial generation, I would agree. But worship isn't about reaching the Millennial generation; it is about worshiping God. Whether one offers worship to God with a loud guitar or a soft organ, the focus is on glorifying God, not pleasing a demographic group. How can we suggest that God is not pleased with contemporary worship? How do we know?
Of course, the style of worship that a church uses will appeal to certain demographic groups, and there may be strategic missional reasons for choosing one style over another. But the point is to worship God. Unless we know the hearts of those who are worshiping, we are on dangerous ground to assume it is all about superficial marketing and good coffee in the hope that a few Millennials may wander through the door.
I am not suggesting that it is never appropriate to offer a thoughtful critique of certain methods of worship. It can be helpful to raise questions and clarify the motives behind our methods. Respectful dialogue can foster deeper understanding. But I think we must be careful when we make assumptions and presumptions based on our limited experience with worship styles. I am "chief of all sinners" in this area, and I know how deeply such an approach can harm others.
Here is my final point: I am weary of the "worship wars." I am tired of hearing contemporary worshipers criticize traditional worship as "dead liturgy" and "a mindless ritual." I am also tired of hearing traditional worshipers criticize contemporary worship as "Jesusy entertainment" and "a rock concert trying to appeal to young people." It is not helpful to the Body of Christ for any of us to assume that a particular style of worship is not acceptable to God simply because it is not acceptable to us. I’ve attended many worship services in several mega churches and they have helped me offer heartfelt worship to God. They do not match the description that Jonathan outlines in his open letter to the church. I’ve also attended traditional worship services and been captivated by the beauty of the liturgy. But when we elevate a worship style preference to the level of a spiritual virtue, we become modern-day Pharisees who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.
I’m glad that many Millennials find traditional worship to be helpful in their faith journeys. But if we think that churches are offering contemporary worship in an attempt to "reach Millennials," we’re wrong. We are offering contemporary worship because we believe that some people prefer that worship style. In the church I lead, our attendance at the contemporary service is about twice that of our traditional service, so I am thinking that there are a lot of people in our community who resonate with that style (we have a great band, but no fog machine). I can’t see into everybody’s heart on Sunday morning, so I can’t say for sure if they are truly worshiping God or if they just show up to enjoy a rock concert and a good cup of coffee. But we’ll keep singing "Shout to the Lord" anyway, and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit.
The Rev. Mark A. Miller is a United Methodist pastor.