Music in praise and worship

Recent issues in one denomination has wrestled with the questions of music, praise and worship.

first published 16/11/2011 / augmented 19/02/2014

Ed preface. The first of the short videos below is a (OK, rather cynical) caricature (by Americans) of their native scene. However it touches on some very important issues for churches well beyond the USA.

The second video is taken at a (for real) praise service at a Christian music festival in the UK.

Christians Together site member Carol Vincent in America has written on the 'Forum' section of the CT website:

Entertaining the People with Bigger and Better

I've been a Christian for well over thirty years and have watched with interest the church move from true worship into an entertainment industry where people are given music and bands like the world in order to 'move with the times'. I'm far from an old fuddydud and play guitar myself in church, but watching some church services and today's pop concerts, there's really no difference. People are not content with church any longer, where Jesus is the main focus of our adoration, but they're looking for bigger spectacular bands, signs and wonders and something to pull people in.

For full text, see click here.

Parody of Modern Church Service

From Creation Fest (Cornwall, 2013)

Roger Oakland of 'Understanding the Times' ministry writes: "Many who attended Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in the past under the leadership of Pastor Chuck Smith are wondering what changes to expect now that a new generation is at the helm. The [above] video clip of "worship" at the Cornwall, England Creationfest in the summer of 2013 sanctioned by the new leadership of CCCM should provide a clear answer to that question."

Christians Together, 19/02/2014