A "correct" style of worship?
 

Many of us have grown up all our lives in a single church, and have no idea how church services are like in another church. I think it’s important that if one wants to progress beyond being an average worship-leader, one must experience how different churches worship. Often there are a few similarities and many differences. On being exposed to differences, you may dismiss these with a general "too charismatic" or "too conservative". With both, you run the risk of throwing away large portions of our Christian worship tradition. You run the risk of stagnating in your own acquired concepts of what worship is.

Who decides what is suitable for worship, what is "right"? God? Actually, most often it is man himself. The Bible’s only instruction for use of instruments in worship (Ps 150) is usually not heeded for practical reasons or otherwise. It was man who decided what instruments he should use. Therefore, there is usually no theological basis for dismissing any type of worship per se. Sadly, the Body of Christ has often divided on how to worship Christ its head, precisely because of arguments of this sort.

Personally, I have learnt to worship God in all types of worships I have encountered, traditional, contemporary, charismatic or whatever else label man may put on them. I have realized that there can never be a "right" or a "wrong" style of worship, only a sincere or pretentious attitude in worship. Because I know worshipping God is not our music, our clapping, our hymns or whatever. Because "God is Spirit, and his worshippers MUST worship him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH." Jn. 4:24 If our worship, however gaudy or however modern, cannot help us to respond to the Spirit of God and His righteousness with our whole heart, then it cannot be worship.

Personal preferences, adapting styles and corporate unity
 

I do have preferences for my "favourite" type of worship. These match the special circumstances under which I have grown, both spiritually and physically. But I will never say who is right and who is wrong in worship. In this article, I would like to present to you some of the styles of worship I have found in some American churches I have visited. If I seem to be partial towards any, do remember it is because of my preferences. You may have differing opinions. Whatever the case, let us learn the best aspects of all worship styles and use them in forming our own worship styles. In a way, that can only help the unity of the Body of Christ as well.

Finally, the most salient point of all is that since others will have a "favourite" style of worship different from yours, you may have to adjust your worship style to lead in these different settings. An average worship leader will find this adjustment difficult because he has been locked into his own mindset of what constitutes "good worship". But if you have risen above that by examining the worship styles of others, you should not find this much of a problem, because you already know how to lead in the styles of other people.

CVCF is a large, mature, 1000-member church which is in Urbana, rather than Champaign as the name suggests. As can be expected, the usual VCF worship protocols have been maintained. The interesting fact is that except for one or two songs which open the service, the sermon precedes the rest of the worship! Therefore, while in other churches the primary role of worship is to prepare the people to hear God’s word by helping them to commune with God with their spirits in worship, here the Word helps prepare the people to respond to God with their spirits in worship! The worship leader – one of the pastors – leads with the acoustic guitar. He is accompanied by a praise band and a singer. This church uses a Roland electronic drumset and electric keyboard, as well as guitar and bass. The instrumentation is intense, demonstrating technical mastery. Naturally, the songs sung are Vineyard songs or songs appearing on Vineyard albums. If you’re a fan of Vineyard songs, you never have to complain about not hearing them often enough in this church!

CFC is a young church of about 600 members (mostly students) with a dynamic students’ ministry. The overwhelming majority of its members are Asians, mostly Korean. Although its student ministry meetings are exciting, the atmosphere of its Sunday services is quiet and reverential; clapping of any sort is frowned upon. On Sunday, worship is led by a worship leader with an acoustic guitar. There are some accompanying singers and a pianist. The songs chosen are slow, worshipful songs. Some are hymns or arrangements of hymns. Both transparencies and hymnbooks are used. Singing is loud, and sounds beautiful in unison. Considering that all the songs sung are worship songs, it is easy to get into the right frame of mind for worship. The worship leader often judges the mood of the worshippers, repeating choruses or verses as he sees fit. There are times when one just desires to reflect and be still before God, and I really enjoyed the worship for that. Otherwise, there is not much chance for spontaneity on the part of the worshipper. Discipline pervades the service: there is a liturgy to be followed. The worshippers sit when told to sit, stand when told to stand, file into church and out of church orderly and quietly as directed by the ushers.

CCC is 150-strong multi-racial students’ Assemblies-of-God church. It was founded by Pastor Dave Short 7 years ago, and is closely linked with the Urbana Assembly of God. Worship is led by the same worship leader every week. He leads with an acoustic guitar, and is accompanied by guitar, bass, trumpet/flute, drums and percussion. There is clapping, shouting, jumping, dancing, and (occasionally) people running up and down the aisles during the worship! There is usually one accompanying singer. Many of the songs chosen are "Vineyard" songs, although many Hillsong Australia Songs and even the worship leader's own songs are sung. Most songs transit smoothly to the next. Because the same worship leader leads week after week, the style of the 1-hour worship is quite standard – praise, long worship, and a (slightly sudden) praise reprise. The worship leader is obviously tuned to the Spirit during the worship. Generally there are fewer songs, and more time is spent on singing each song, and there is room for individual expression of one's desire to worship God. Personally, I admire the precise musical instrumentation and the upbeat, spontaneous praise.

TCBC is a fairly large family church with a large student population. TCBC’s worship is similar to that of many churches which marry traditional and contemporary worship in a single service.. There is a precise liturgy to be followed; every song is printed in the bulletin.  The worship falls into two distinct categories; hymns sung from the hymnal with the accompaniment of a church organist; and a few more contemporary choruses from the bulletin. The worship leader who leads the hymns is not the worship leader who leads the choruses. The worship (choruses) leader, who plays an acoustic guitar, is accompanied by several singers. A drummer plays, but rather conservatively. Each song is sung a fixed number of times, and there are few, if any, transitions.

UAG is a multi-racial family church of 550 members. Its style is nearly unique among all churches in this area. It is the style of "big music". The most obvious difference is the 50-strong praise choir, named the "Flaming Missiles for Jesus", which stands on stage and accompanies the entire worship. It is obvious that the choir is worshipping, rather than just singing an item. Although they sway in synchronization, their emotions and hand movements are spontaneous. It helps to get the congregation into the worship frame of mind as they watch the choir worship. Sometimes the music pastor leads from the grand piano. The leaders and choir are accompanied by a praise band. The choir director doubles as both conductor and lead singer. The choir usually starts the service with a medley of a few songs, and usually gets the whole congregation excited that people jump right out of their seats and start clapping or jumping. The leader therefore never tells the people when to stand or sit; it’s spontaneous. There is no liturgy to be followed; "flow in the Spirit" is emphasized. There are times during the worship when public speaking in tongues or singing spontaneous songs are encouraged. The pastor sometimes comes out in the midst of the worship and asks for other songs to be sung. The songs sung range from hymns (rearranged in a contemporary style) and older praise choruses to the newest vineyard worship songs. There is no jarring interruption between the end of worship and the rest of the service - the transition is smooth. What I admire about UAOG’s worship is its evident maturity: the thorough mastery of musical and vocal instrumentation and the enormous preparation that has gone into coordinating each worship, yet without sacrifice of the spontaneity that accompanies good worship.

WUMC is one of the oldest churches in Urbana, its tall church spire (which I climbed before) having been a landmark for many generations of UIUC students in the past. Today, its members are mostly senior citizens although there is an active students' ministry. Without exception, only hymns or choruses from the United Methodist Church hymnal are sung. These are accompanied by the skilled organist on the large pipe organ, as well as a large church choir. The choir, good as a whole, has some voice teachers at UIUC as its members. The service is liturgical in the traditional style. The atmosphere is sacred and sombre; a twist occurs when one of the new style hymns are sung and played on the organ at double speed. In any case, you might want to visit this church to hear the organist play and the choir sing. You might be one of the number who, impressed, actually stay to the end of the postlude to applaud the skills of the organist!