True jeans

So the past posts make it seem like I don't like contemporary worship or blue jeans.  That's very much not true.  If there is one thing I disagree with Calvinists on, it is on the regulative principle of worship.

I'm definitely against worshiping images and bowing to them, but I like images.  I don't think a cross on a church wall makes me worship a piece of wood, though I have seen that.  In fact, I think a church's architecture can help me focus better on God and the world beyond this one than anything else.  I compare the monastery abbey to some contemporary church that looks like an auditorium.  A church needs to look like a church.

Even if you meet in an office building, you can still manipulate lighting and decorate walls to help my ADD brain focus.  Our sanctuary looks like a sanctuary, and it's functional. 

As a music person, I especially love finding new music that glorifies the Lord.  Whether the music is old or new, there are some amazing hymns out there that have meaty lyrics and true structure.  They weren't pulled out of emotional highs.  I think of Keith and Kristyn Getty (and Stuart Townend) who wrote "In Christ Alone."  All their songs are that deep and are appropriate for Sunday worship.  Chris Tomlin and Hillsong normally have substantive songs, too.  All of Matt Redman's songs are deep in lyrics.  For all those Psalm singers, I like those too, but here is Colossians 3:16, where Paul is telling Colosse to sing psalms, hymns, and songs of gratitude.  He's clearly not against original music and possibly not instruments. 

I think you can have all the cool songs, instruments, and decorations and even come to church wearing a t-shirt with Charles Spurgeon's face.  There's a church in South Carolina, an EPC church, that has all that and people leave the doors knowing real Scripture because the meat of a worship service is in an expository sermon, not in the music, as much as I love music.

So, what about those boyfriend songs?  I must admit, I do like "Draw Me Close to You" or "This is the Air I Breathe," but are they really deep enough to sing in church to the God who deserves our best.  They're good songs on the radio, but not every CCM song is appropriate for church.  There's a time and place for everything, and for the most part, the time and place is in your car on the road or while you're working, not Sunday worship.  Sunday is where we hear the Word, eat the Word (in communion), and sing the Word in hymns, psalms, and good songs that use Scripture.  And it is all for the purpose of worshiping God and edifying the saints, not entertaining non-believers, which is evangelism and is done on the other six days, or even if you finally get a non-believer in your church.  Still, Sunday worship should not be geared toward him but toward feeding the sheep.  God will take care of the non-believer in your midst; you just have to faithfully minister the Word.