My grandmother introduced me to two ways people worship. I remember as a boy of six (1957) standing next to her and singing, “Onward Christian Soldiers”. We were at a traditional redbrick and white steepled Southern Baptist church. The other worship service was when I was nine and was held in a storefront low ceiling Pentecostal church with drums. To me, in those early tender years, one worship was very reverent and the other chaotic.

The catchword for today’s worship is contemporary. There are praise teams, praise bands and worship teams. These terms are unfamiliar to many Southern Baptists. Those congregations relate more to the 1950’s SBC service I experienced with my grandmother than they do to the contemporary of today. In fact, those congregations would come away with the impression that the contemporary service was more like the Pentecostal service I attended with my grandmother.

There are those congregations trying to bridge the gap with blended worship.  The best way to describe blended worship is:  retaining the old and adding a watered down version of contemporary. The definition isn't perfect but it gives you a sense of the variety you will find when a church lists their worship as blended.

What is the right way to worship?

There are several factors that influences how a congregation worships. Age of the members, evangelism concerns, the age of the church, the setting the church is located, the willingness of the congregation to experiment are just a few. Sometimes a pastor will try to drag a congregation kicking and screaming to accept contemporary worship. The odds are against the pastor’s vision.

Many, many churches add a contemporary or early worship in hopes of attracting seekers or young people. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do so but it should not be undertaken without a lot of prayer and planning. The old saying that fits is, "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater". Without the prayer and the planning a congregation can lose members as well as money. Pastors have their horror stories of congregations splitting (older people who desire traditional worship and younger people desiring contemporary) who do not interact as a church. 

A couple who were not members of my congregation asked me to conduct their wedding. When I inquired, “Why not your pastor at your church?” They said their church was meeting in a school and their pastor didn’t have time to conduct weddings. My jaw dropped. In one of the counseling sessions I told the couple that the “mosh pit”, heavy Christian rock, praise choruses and off-the-cuff preaching attracted a lot of young first time worshippers. And, I thought it was great so many were making confessions of faith and sought baptism. I told them my only concern was that after a few months that such worship may not meet the spiritual needs of a growing Christian. A year later, at another wedding, they said, “You were right. After about four months we were wanting something more, we weren’t growing and left the church for one that was more traditional.”

Worship in the local church has to do two things for those sitting on the pews. It has to challenge them to grow and it has to equip them for living. When people worship  - God speaks and when He speaks He changes lives. Sometimes He speaks through the thunder (the loud music of contemporary worship) and sometimes He speaks in the still small voice (the soft music during prayer of the traditional worship).

A congregation can say, “This is who we are and this is how we worship”.  Will they continue to be a growing and effective congregation? Probably if God is leading and they are listening. A congregation can also say, "We are going to change everything regardless of who likes it.” Will they continue to grow and be a effective congregation? Probably if God is leading and they are listening. It always comes down to that - God leading and people listening. The right way to worship is always the way that God directs.

In the many years since I worshiped with my grandmother I’ve visited all kinds of churches and worshiped in many different types of buildings. I've enjoyed teaching pastors, shouting evangelists, trained soloists and people who just sang. In some churches the people dressed up and in others the people dressed down. But what I have experienced is God moving across a congregation in such a way people cried and fell on their knees. I've seen Him move across others and the people stood, cried with joy and never wanted to leave that place. Worship is unique, God touches lives when the people come to Him and humble their hearts and desire to experience His presence. How should a congregation worship? The best answer is: as God directs.