Transforming Worship Getting Your Senior Adults on Board (Part 2 of 3)
by Gary Chevalier
 Last month we discussed that Senior Adults are usually the most vocal opponents of transforming worship styles…for those of us in Worship/Music Ministry, I think that’s a no-brainer. We also dispelled the myth that it’s because Senior Adults don’t like change…for no one likes change unless we understand and buy into the benefit of the change. Like my grandfather’s riding lawn mower, he’s OK to let the rotary mower go because he buys into the value of the riding mower. So the question is, “How do we help Senior Adults buy into the change?”
Though everyone is different, most of the reasons senior adults have told me (and most pastors I know) about why they oppose transforming worship styles can be categorized in two ways. First, they either believe it is “un-Biblical” and “un-Christian” to sing anything but hymns in church; and they detest the new music’s drums and guitars as “pagan” and “of the devil.” Or second, they just don’t like the new music. They prefer to sing the hymns they know, the ones that they grew up singing, and to which they already know all the words. The remainder of this month’s article will address the first reason, and next month we’ll talk about the latter.
The notion that all newly composed songs (meaning those which aren’t in the hymnal) are “un-Biblical” or “un-Christian” is quite humorous to me. The Bible is replete with the call to “Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 33, 96, 98, 144, 149, etc.). Besides, the Bible was written thousands of years ago (and not in English), yet most hymns were written only hundreds of years ago (and in English); which means that the hymns in the hymnal were, at one time, “new songs!” One should always be careful when selecting songs to sing in congregational worship (whether hymns or new worship songs), but to “canonize” the hymnal and categorically dismiss all other new songs simply doesn’t make sense. The Psalms also direct us to use many different types of instruments to praise the Lord (harp, lyre, flutes, cymbals, etc.), so the guitar & drums argument is invalid too. I’ve also heard it argued that we should sing songs “about” God, rather than songs “to” God. Again, however, reading the Psalms reveals that David sang/wrote songs “to” God all the time.
Many times those who oppose new styles of worship, will hold on to arguments like these because they sound “spiritual”…but they’re simply not true. God delights in the praises of His people – whether hymns or new worship songs, pipe organ or wailing guitar. From my experience, the core issue of opposition to transforming worship styles is the second reason I mentioned above…they simply don’t like the new music. And do you know what? That’s OK! They don’t have to like it in order to buy into transforming worship styles! More on that idea, next month…
TRANSFORMING WORSHIP CONFERENCE
If you’re leading (or planning to lead) your church through a worship/preaching transformation and you are interested in a training opportunity for your entire team, then please make plans to bring your team to the “Transforming Worship Conference” on Sat., September 15, 2007. It’s a low cost, one day conference designed to give you and your team (including your Senior Pastor) a boost in your labor for the Lord. For more info, check out the website at www.transformingworship.com or call me at 972.937.5301
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