Monday, May 18, 2009

My Personal Soapbox

Last week, I received an email from a former college classmate of mine. He is now serving God as a pastor in a Lutheran church. He questioned what I now do for Living Word. He was telling me that what I did wasn't part of the Lutheran confessions. He was telling me that the music I share isn't part of the Divine Service set up by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. He was telling me that there is no place for contemporary worship or music in the church and that the pure music for worship is from the hymnals. He told me that I was leading people astray.

Now I was taken back by this, but not really angry, just hurt. When David was leading the Ark of the Covenant and was dancing, I believe he was dancing for the Lord. I like to think that when the Psalms tell us to praise the Lord with cymbals or drums or trumpets, that it is telling us to praise the Lord using any means we can. Music is just one part of the worship experience. Word and Sacrament play a big part in our spiritual walk. It isn't what I do, it is what God is doing through me and through the worship teams that enhance worship. There are so many different ways to worship our Lord, that no one way is correct all the time. Worship comes from the heart. Worship is how you praise, thank, confess, ask, respond to God and His glory. Worship is you giving back to God. Some people like a more traditional, some like contemporary, but whatever the style, if it is focused on our heavenly Father, it is worship.