“Worship Style Doesn’t Matter”
“Worship style doesn’t matter. The Bible does not indicate how worship should be done. Nor does it prohibit certain styles of worship. It’s a preference issue.” So wrote Tyler Edwards for Relevant Magazine in 2019, though he was hardly the first to promote this idea. That honor might belong to Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, and early pioneers of the contemporary worship movement (c. 1445 BC).
“Worship style doesn’t matter” – Nadab
“It’s a preference issue” – Abihu
“Worship style doesn’t matter.” Repeat a lie long enough, and people begin to believe it. “Worship style doesn’t matter.” I wonder if the widows of Nadab and Abihu found solace in these words. “Worship style doesn’t matter.” And yet, the entire witness of Scripture, from the intricate detail of the tabernacle of Moses to the glimpses of the heavenly throne room, testifies against this saying.
We might also talk of common sense and self-evident truth. Would anyone who believes that good theology can be paired with any style of worship be willing to put the idea to the test? If content has no connection with form, then there can be nothing inappropriate about gargling the prayers of the church, or speaking the Verba in the voice of Donald Duck. I pray that there are none among us who would dare to make a mockery of Christ in such a way.
But enough about common sense—what do the Scriptures say? Tyler Edwards wrote that “the Bible does not indicate how worship should be done.” He’s wrong. Countless passages in the Bible inform our understanding of holy and reverent worship. But let’s consider just one, taken from perhaps the last place in the Bible one might think to find instruction on worship: the book of Proverbs.
Nathanael Bugbee, a dear friend and the father of three of my godchildren, brought the following verse to my attention:
He that, rising early in the morning, blesseth his friend with a loud voice: it shall be counted as a curse to him (Proverbs 27:14).
A man blesses his neighbor loudly in the morning, and it is regarded as a curse. Why? Is the substance of the blessing different? Has the theological content been changed? No, not a bit. Remember, this has ever been the claim of those who advocate for “contemporary” worship: “Only the style will change, but the substance of our theology will remain exactly the same.” Even if this is true (and it never is—the theology always shifts), even if only the style has changed, can there be a difference in outcome? Yes, indeed. According to Scripture, a change in style can have sufficient force as to change a blessing into its very opposite, a curse. This is not just mission drift; it is mission reversal. If something as simple as the volume of one’s voice or the time of day can turn a blessing into a curse, how much more certain forms of “worship” imported directly from our Christ-hating world?
Still don’t believe that worship style matters? Don’t worry. Enlightenment can be yours if you follow these three simple steps (once again, credit to Nathanael Bugbee). Married men, I challenge you to do the following:
· Step 1: Rise early on the day of your anniversary, while your wife is still sleeping.
· Step 2: Bend close to her ear and shout, “Happy anniversary!” as loudly as possible.
· Step 3: Throw a bouquet of flowers at her face (she likes flowers, yes?).
Then the eyes of your understanding will be opened, and you will be as God, knowing the difference between good and evil—or, at least, between one form of worship and another.
No, Tyler Edwards, it is a wicked lie to say that worship style doesn’t matter. The widows of Nadab and Abihu testify against this, as does any measure of common sense. More importantly, so does the Word of God. Going forward as a synod, that is, walking together, I am perfectly willing to discuss the merits (or lack thereof) of the various styles of worship that can be found in our churches. But for any such discussion to be fruitful, it must take place with a shared understanding that worship style does indeed matter. Form is not neutral; it is itself a confession. The style of worship is so integrally bound up with its theological content, that a different style might just change a blessing into a curse.