Quote:
Originally Posted by countmeworthy
Gees... I hope we are not showing our 'age' ...that is 'set in our ways'... 
Naa.... |
Funny way to look at it.
I regularly attend a "traditional" service, complete with choir and mostly old hymns (a few relatively modern ones, including a couple by the Getty's). And I enjoy it enough. But I am there mostly because I intend sit with my dad. I hope he doesn't get wind of this and think I would rather go to the 2nd service which is more contemporary.
But I do occasionally go to that service, but in addition to the traditional service. It is because I sometimes am asked to play guitar for it.
And in between the two, I find that there is a place that is better than either. The traditional likes the old ways just because it was the way Paul and Silas did it, while the contemporary seems to want to be uplifted.
But I would prefer a service that was somewhere in between. That appreciated what is truly worshipful in either, and was willing to have their favorites either played a little more modernly, or not done karaoke style (like the contemporary songs so often are).
After 20+ years in one place, we moved to a different one for various reasons. But it was not from dislike of where we were. But the one thing I miss is the way music, and worship in general, was approached in the former. The music was seldom me centered. Part of the worship was reserved to the end so that we could respond with more than a quick sing of a single song while the plates are passed (they did that earlier anyway). There was time to actually sing or pray. And when we did the Table, it was during this end time.
For me, that was the beginning of seeing worship as more than just singing great songs. As more than just getting uplifted, but rather in uplifting Christ. Whether I had a sense of it falling back onto me was not my concern. Getting that was nice, but not the purpose. What we did was not to get, but to give. Give without the back-thought of compensation in any form.
BTW. Despite my age, look at the three songs I linked in "Favorite Hymns." It is all over the place, but within that center that I think I like best.