Contemporary Worship
What does contemporary mean when it comes to how we worship?
Here are some contemporary examples of worship. Click on each link for the story. After reading this, I ask myself is having a “praise band” really that bad? We could embrace many other forms of contemporary worship. I did not write this to bash any particular denomination. I didn’t even have to search for these, they were just kinda in my face.
Presbyterians OK leeway for gays, lesbians
Churches that Embrace Homosexuality Deny Scripture
Episcopal Church is in turmoil over gay rights This is the transcript from a Larry King Live show that aired on CNN June 15, 2006 - 21:00 ET. Excerpt from the transcript; “We have a major panel to discuss this. In Columbus is Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. Here in Los Angeles, Reverend Jo Hudson. Joe is pastor of the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas, one of the Texas’s largest predominantly gay churches in the United States. She’s an ordained member in the United Church of Christ in Washington is Andrew Sullivan, “Time” magazine columnist, openly gay Catholic. His blog site by the way is andrewsullivan.com. In Columbus, Ohio is Reverend Canon David Anderson, president and CEO of the Anglican American Council who opposes gay clergy in the church, in Los Angeles, Father Michael Manning, Roman Catholic priest, host of the Word and the World, and in Roanoke, Virginia, Reverend Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.”
Election of Episcopal Presiding Bishop Could Split Anglicans
Open Letter to Benedict XVI from a Gay Priest
And it is not all about gay issues. Check this article out about “gender-inclusive language for the Trinity“.
I can hear it now, “I baptize you in the name of the Fire that Consumes, the Sword that Divides and the Storm that Melts Mountains”
God help us!
June 30th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
Oh my gosh! Where did the church go? When left to man, God’s will becomes a desert. We are going to be wondering in that desert for a lot more than 40 years at this rate. The phrase “As far as the East is from the West” may be even farther than we imagined when the church politics encompasses scriptural sin to become a common place of worship. It seems that the sin is being worshipped and embraced instead of God. It is all about promoting who is welcome instead of promoting the one who welcomes.
June 30th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
I’m not saying we disregard the people groups that are attempting to destroy the fabric of the modern church through liberal “free thought”, but at times I wonder how much of God’s resources and strength we waste battling those who know the Truth and distort it, rather than seeking to deliver the Truth to those who are lost. I think we should be resolute in defending our faith, especially against groups that would persuade others that an anti-biblical lifestyle such as homosexuality is biblical. Homosexuality is plainly against God. But I think we are often poor stewards when we try to “change” their thinking. That’s God’s job not ours. If they’ve heard the Truth and chosen to abandon it in favor of immorality or false doctrine, then we’ve got to move on and trust that the Holy Spirit will convict.
As to your opening thoughts, I think we should consider The Great Commission before we draw the battle lines in our own camp over things like contemporary worship. We get so caught up in ourselves and what “our” church should or shouldn’t be doing that we miss God altogether.