The question of the day is: "Do we see the potential of worship music being a welcome to those who come into a worship gathering?" Welcoming is about helping others to feel at home. One of the initial connections made by new people who gather on a given Sunday with the church is the musical connection. Many of the songs that are played or sung serve the function of welcoming and providing newcomers an instant sense of "home". I remember times when I have gone into a new place and immediately felt at home and connected because of a familiar melody or worship song. I felt an instant connection to the folks with whom I had gathered, and to some extent it put me at ease and at home in a way that nothing else could have. I also have experienced the opposite.
Multiple musical languages give us points of connection as we gather together in worship. The different elements of music and different styles create ways of communicating. And then the give and take of making worship music accessible and learnable to others becomes a way of giving and receiving gifts from one another in worship. All people interact to some degree with music. We must work to make worship music accessible to all, not just a select few. Singing is a full body experience that requires voice, breath and physical energy. Again it is a tool through which worship becomes embodied in the gathered group of people, and touches our lives on many different levels as we worship Him.
And of course as discussed many times previously, music is appealing to all ages and should function in the worship of the church inter-generationally. Our society and different organizations are doing all they can do to segregate people according to age. However, the church needs to promote community among all ages. It is the path of least resistance that causes many churches to separate their different age groups for "worship". And churches have, of course, even separated between styles of worship and/or music. But I don't believe there is anything Biblical about that. There are Biblical principles showing the benefits of intergenerational worship. It can be somewhat messy and requires sacrifices on the parts of all, but it is the true model of the body of Christ. We are a family. And, yes, sometimes families are messy. The principle of a grandparent sacrificing his or her music preferences or particular needs for those of a grandchild and vice versa is not easy, but scriptural. And most importantly, it is worth the rewards for all those who pay the price.
The extravagance of our God and our worship call for these different "dishes" or "gifts" just as when we gather together as families. When we combine it all we produce an offering to our Lord that goes beyond our individual gifts or imaginations - all to the glory of God. Is your worship music attitude welcoming and all encompassing? We need welcoming worship music in the church today! mjm
