Is this really still a problem for believers in churches today? Unfortunately, yes. This is still a constant struggle in many churches today. "We want to be more contempoary!" (praise choruses) "We want to be more traditional!"(Hymns) Here's a suggestion; How about, "Let's be BIBLICAL!" One of the biblical standards for worship is through "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." This is a no brainer for me, clearly defined by the scriptures in Colossians 3:16.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, through the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart to God."
So why all the controversy in churches today? It is because this controversy is man-centered and not God-Centered. It's either a preference of style or, it's deeply rooted in an experience where the individual encountered the presence of God, usually through salvation in a very real way. The reason our wonderful seniors enjoy the great hymns of the faith is because that is what they were singing when God saved them. Likewise, the younger generations love to worship to the more modern songs because that is what they were singing when God saved them.
The problem with both sides is that they feel as if they cannot, or have not worshipped God unless they've worshipped with their "preferred style." We as believers must put aside our man-centered preferences, seek to experience God in new ways each time we gather for corporate worship, and exalt Him through biblical worship: Psalms, Hymns, & Spiritual Songs.
Our worship is either Biblical - or it's not! It's that simple.
