Worship - Single Priority of All Generations

"Worship is the single most important act in which Christians engage.  'Let us worship God' is the most important sentence spoken week after week, year after year, in congregations all over the world.  It calls us to attention before God Who has something life-changing, soul saving, and world-renewing to say.  It gathers us to an appropriate and adequate response to God who wills to 'make all things new', an 'all things' that includes us.  But as we have entered the third millennium . . . when the call goes out, 'Let us worship God', instead of worshipping, men and women begin to argue, explain, promote, discuss, and denounce . . The work of Christian worship is in chaos." (The words of Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, and Emeritus Professor of Theology, Regent College, Vancouver.)

Those who advocate that children and/or youth should worship with their own age group will only try to claim that his approach does not hinder or undermine the reality of the "family" of God or the church family.  This begs the question, however, "If we can't worship together, then what can we do together?"  Authentic worship is a profoundly unselfish activity.  John Drane has described it as "all that we are, responding to all that God is".  If that is the case, there is really no room for a focus on self-gratification.  In the words of Christian contemporary composer, Matt Redmon, we need to "get back to the heart of worship" - which is - God, not me.

The church as the body of Christ cannot function properly with its parts separated.  The family of God is an interdependent community where mutual empowerment, humility, love and sacrifice need to be experienced.  As said before, we need to put more confidence in the reconciling power of the gospel.  Promoting division is in no way biblical.  We need to promote and be open to intergenerational experience in the church, especially in the ministry of worship, if every generation is to develop as God intended.  

Ephesians 4:11-16  speaks to the body of Christ growing in love, and that the only way we will grow up into Christ is if we speak the truth in love.  mjm

Body Life Worship

The Body of Christ, the church, literally shows the gospel's credibility to society.  It is a community of believers, called here on earth to the life of heaven to come, and to develop cultural richness and interdependent fellowship.  God's great glory is seen in the church as Christ's living body.  This body life models deep relationships based on a strong commitment to each other.  In our worship, our first commitment is to Christ, with our second being to each other - not to ourselves - our style or preferences.  This kind of love has evangelistic implications as stated in John 13:34-35.  It says the world will see.  

The early church met in homes until around the 4th century.  It would be hard to believe that these first "house churches" did not have a certain intergenerational quality to them.  As we have said previously, scripture clearly indicates that all generations are to be involved in body worship.  Joel's prophecy clearly indicates a role for young and old.  (Joel 1:3, 14; 2:1, 2, 16, 28)  The prophecy of v. 28 comes to reality in Acts 2:17 and following.

The language of the Bible is filled with expressions of the intergenerational nature of the people of God.  "The family of believers" or "household of faith" (Gal. 6:10).  Paul affirms Timothy in I Tim. 4:12 and encourages him not to be looked down upon because of his youth.  In I Peter  5:5, Peter appeals to the young to have a submissive attitude towards elders.  But, in I Peter 5: 1-5,  Peter encourages old and young alike to put on humility toward one another.  Even in Jesus' poignant prayer in John 17:21,  Jesus prays that we might be "one".  

It is difficult to see how young and old who are not prepared to worship together can be "one" in any meaningful sense of the word.  Through the power of the gospel we have become one generation.  Any disunity would be denial of our very identity in Christ Jesus our Lord.  We must strive to cross generational lines in our worship for the sake of the unity of the body of Christ.  mjm

Need for One Another in Worship

In the corporate worship of the body, we need one another.  We throw around phrases like "we need each other" or "we need to learn from each other", but if we are not careful those become clichés rather than being actually lived out by us.  We need to take more seriously these realities and try to make opportunity for intergenerational relationships, creating opportunities for relationship and learning.

True spiritual community is interdependent.  It is at the very heart of NT teaching.  The basic message of the "Body metaphor" (I Cor. 12:12) is that we need each other.  Together, we are the body of Christ and as individual members of that body.  

Obviously, Christ is distinct from the church, but as the body of Christ the church should stand as a powerful testimony to the risen Christ in today's world.  This can only be true when individual believers, and groups of believers, lose their independence, learn to belong to one another and share their common life in Christ as members of the body.

The Bible teaches diversity, but maintains that the unity of the church extends beyond that diversity.  (Eph. 4:3-6, 13-16).  The mission of Christ was to abolish the barrier between God and His people.  It is also His mission to abolish the barriers between His people.  (Gal. 3:28).  We don't have to cease to like a particular worship or music style in worship, but these differences no longer represent barriers to fellowship if we are going to live according to the Word.  

What are we doing to cross generational barriers with the children and youth of the church?  What are we doing to help children and youth have an appreciation for what has gone before?  What are we doing to learn to worship with a variety of expressions because we are an intergenerational people, worshipping a multi-faceted God?  mjm

One in Christ

Galatians 3:26-27 - "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  Paul touches on racism and sexism and maybe if he were writing today in our cultural context, he might include ageism.  

With a careful study of both Philippians 2:1-4 and Ephesians 2:14-25 you don't find the apostle's teachings advocating division in the church, or establishing separate worship meetings to suit various styles or different groups of people. Rather sacrifice, tolerance, love, and respect for others are the qualities we are challenged to as the church.  

There is no more a place for generational barriers than racism, sexism, or snobbery of any kind.  Amazingly you can find snobbery on opposite ends of any given spectrum of worship or music styles.  There generally was no hint of a generation gap in the worship of the church found on the mission field in places like we served in Zimbabwe.  This idea of independence rather than interdependence is more of a phenomenon of the West and our culture that has tended to affect the church in an unbiblical way.  

"I will make Thy name to be remembered in all generations:  Therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever." (Psalm 45:17)  Making His name known and remembered from generation to generation to generation leads to the result of the people praising Him!  From generation to generation, one in Christ will we praise Him!  mjm

Identifying Worship and Evangelism

Part of the problem some have as they look at intergenerational worship is that they confuse evangelism/missions with worship.  When we are doing evangelism there is a definite cross-generational and/or cross cultural approach, which is important in accomplishing that goal.  However, that goal should not be confused with worship.  Unfortunately, for years people have confused the purpose of worship and evangelism.  Some have felt that our worship services are for the purpose of evangelism rather than worship.  The church should be more careful in identifying when we are doing evangelism such as an evangelistic service or crusade and when we are doing worship.  Does evangelism take place in worship?  Of course, but it is not the main purpose of worship. Worship is first and primarily for Him! 

So, when doing evangelism and missions, seeking specifically to reach the lost and "unchurched"of course, it is appropriate to use methods and music that are oriented for a particular age or cultural group.  But, when doing worship, we need to consider  that the church worshipping as the body must be about maturing unity, discipleship, and community using varied approaches and styles. We then must introduce new believers into the body of Christ with all of its various representatives and parts.  (I Cor. 12:12)  Maturing believers must be able to worship together.  To claim otherwise is a denial of Christ's accomplishment in reconciliation and redemption.  Strong families and fellowships of believers are those who are mature enough to experience variety and live with one another's differences in preferences or tastes.  To ignore this is to ignore a clear teaching of the New Testament.

True belonging is found in a mixed group.  The faith family is a mixed group striving for true community.  It is where in Christ we learn to relate to our contemporaries, but also to our elders and minors.  In our contemporary culture we are losing a vital sense of community, and the most desperate need of many people is for a place to belong.  The church, as a whole unified body, is and has the answer.  Jesus presents the reality of a loving community as one of the key aspects of Christian discipleship - another reason that multigenerational or intergenerational worship is important.  mjm

Worship Unity in Culture or Christ?

Beginning in the 70s there was a movement that said church growth could only be effective if a section of society in which, culturally, all members have some characteristic in common.  This has been debated in the church for years and interestingly has possibly caused as much disunity as unity in the church.  

It would seem that we must consider that in both the OT and NT we discover that God set out to create a people for Himself.  Christ came to establish a family, not just new individuals.  John Stott says, "Salvation in the Bible is never a purely individualistic concept.  As in the Old Testament, so in the New, God is calling out a people for Himself and binding it to Himself by a solemn covenant.  The members of this new society, reconciled through Christ to God and one another, are being drawn from all races, cultures, and ages.  Indeed, this single new humanity - which Christ has created and which no barriers are tolerated - is an essential part of the good news" (Eph. 2:11-22).

The question is - have we lost our confidence in the power of the gospel, not only to change lives but also to transform the community of God's people into one body, united in Him?  Have we allowed an attempt at church growth of unity in culture to affect the worship of the Body?  Are our worship expressions and music about culture or about Him?  If we look at the teaching of scripture, how can we not see the case for worship for all of the Body?  Corporate worship is a multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-generational expression of our love and adoration and commitment of Lordship to the Father of the family of God.  Is this not a scriptural basis for intergenerational worship in the church?  mjm

Intergenerational Worship and Music Styles

The trends we are seeing in our western society is a culture of individualism and consumerism that says, "I am most important and my likes or dislikes are more important . . ."  Individualism rather than community drives the action of people.  This mindset is fragmenting our marriages, families, and communities.  Being interdependent of one another is being replaced by independence.  Relational principles are taking a back seat.

Unfortunately, though that is not Biblical, it has affected the church.  We as the church should be counter-cultural as God's people showing the reconciling, uniting power of the Gospel and the concept of the Body of Christ challenging the destructive trends in our society.  If believers and church families don't keep it together in the name of Christ, there is no hope.  

You can call it intergenerational worship, multi-generational worship or as we have called it in our local church many times, family worship.  Family worship takes into consideration all parts and ages of the family in creating an environment for worship.  And, yes, that means a great variety of expression and music in worship.  In the Old Testament the "people of God" were called to worship, not the older people of God or the younger people of God -  the people of God.  I believe the issue of variety in expression and music in worship is addressed by Paul in both Ephesians and Colossians when he says we are to sing - "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs".  We do not know exactly what kind of songs these are, but we do know he is calling for variety and yielding to one another in the Body.  The concept and mindset that "I always have to have my own way" is contrary to Biblical teaching about the Body and servanthood.  We need to learn to love and yield to one another, even in worship.  mjm

The Tension of Intergenerational Worship

The next few blogs I want to discuss intergenerational or multi-generational worship. Unfortunately in the last few years there has been a lot of disunity among local church fellowships that many times split along generational lines.  Many churches are finding it difficult to keep everybody happy. Many times this tension has often surrounded the issue of "worship style" which unfortunately is more about "musical style" than worship.  Many churches over the last few years have tried adopting two or three different services trying to cater to the various preferences in their congregations each Sunday.  Advocates of this approach point out that in some cases churches that have adopted this pattern of niche services have grown, and it is justified by that fact.  However, splits and tension have occurred in many churches and many have been calling our Seminaries in the last few years asking how to re-unite their churches and get back to one worship service.   

It is my belief and the belief of many others that this niche approach has created new problems and is maybe not the best way forward for the life and mission of the church, according to scripture.  In many cases it has created a further fragmentation and tension among different groups in the church.  To find Biblical and workable solutions, we can put our faith and confidence in the transforming, reconciling power of the gospel for all the people of God.  In its very nature, the body of Christ is intergenerational.  

Also, we are taught throughout God's Word that we are to yield one to another, and be used of the Lord to edify and grow one another in the grace of the Lord.  Biblically, our children and youth need to worship alongside adults and even senior adults.  Young adults need to worship alongside our seniors and yes, even seniors can grow from and with our young adults, youth, and children.  We are all one body.  This tendency of fragmentation and generational segregation is not Biblical.  The phrase "all generations" is used some 91 times in scripture.  Nowhere in the Bible are we encouraged to split off into different generations.  Not only is this not Biblical, but as I stated in the last blog, it has proven out in studies that have been done, that if the faith of our children and our youth is to stick and hold they must have worship and fellowship time with adults and older adults.  More next time.  mjm

A Place at the Table

Great emphasis has been put on the importance of families spending time at the dinner table together as it builds family unity and is an opportunity for all to grow.  It really is no different in our spiritual family or the body of Christ.  We are challenged to not forsake that coming together for worship as the body.  We are also challenged to do everything we can to maintain unity, not union, in the body.  I heard someone say you could tie the tails of two cats together and throw them over a clothes line and you would have union, but not unity.  Everyone is aware that we are all different, different in age, different in tastes, different in understanding, different in many different ways and yet, we are challenged to yield to one another and maintain the unity of the body.  

When we come to the "table" of worship, just like our tables there are different ages, different perspectives and different tastes around the same table.  Not everyone necessarily prefers everything that is on the table, but usually there is something for everyone.  Sometimes, Mom might prepare something for one or a group that weren't others favorites.  

Because we are an intergenerational or multigenerational church, we have to make sure there is a place at the table for everyone.  That is not always an easy task.  We try to sing the old songs of the church, the fresh new songs of the church and everything in between so that no one is denied the opportunity to worship with something that is more comfortable or preferable to them.  However, Biblically we should be challenged to yield one to another and try our best to join in learning either the old or the new.  There have been studies that have been made just lately that affirm what the Bible has taught us all along.  There is a study that was made at Fuller Seminary that resulted in a book called "Sticky Faith" that shows the importance of children and teenagers worshipping and fellowshipping with adults.  It showed that where this happens, faith is more apt to stick as the young grow into adulthood.  There is nowhere in the Bible where we are told to isolate or segregate the young from the old for worship.  It is a family affair.  We need to make sure there is a place at the table for all in our worship of Him!   mjm