Why are both of our Sunday morning services the same rather than one “contemporary” and one “traditional”?

This is Part 5 of our series “Why We Do What We Do.”

Why are both of our Sunday morning services the same rather than one “contemporary” and one “traditional”? That question is probably one of the most common ones we in the worship ministry at UBC hear. The reasoning goes something like this: Wouldn’t it be easier to make everyone happy if we offered specific worship services that met their individual preferences? Then everyone could worship in the way they relate to best. (Note: Almost without exception the people asking this question are referring to musical style, not the pastor’s sermon or any other element of the Sunday morning service.)

On the surface, this may seem like a reasonable argument. But there are two logical problems with the question: (1) It assumes that we won’t be happy unless our individual preferences are met, and (2) it assumes that the goal of the church should be to make everyone happy. First of all, I’d like to give us all more credit than to suggest we base our happiness on such shallow criteria. But even more important, is it really our ultimate goal to be sure we are all happy? Isn’t the loftier goal to be people that reflect more and more the character of Christ?

Besides the problems with the question itself, there is a specific and intentional reason why Ustick Baptist Church does not follow the “traditional” and “contemporary” service approach. In a nutshell, it’s because the Lord calls each local body of believers to be one body, serving one Lord, intent on the one purpose of glorifying Him. Jesus Christ has brought us together in Him, young and old, rich and poor, well educated and not well educated, native Idahoans and native Californians, white people and people of color, traditional and cutting edge, frumpy and fashionable, fit and sedentary, musical and tone deaf, emotional and practical. Paul tells us in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Where better to experience this in all its beauty than in our weekly gatherings of worship?

We all (hopefully) have the same goals when we gather for worship: To magnify our Lord Jesus Christ, to learn from His Word, to draw near to Him, to encourage one another in our walk with Him, and to show His love to those who come through our doors. If we are united in these desires, why would we divide along the lesser lines of musical preference?

This past year Greg preached a series about the Core Values of our church. In November he talked about the core value of intergenerational fellowship, using Psalm 78:1-7 as his text. This is a highly treasured value of Ustick Baptist, and a big reason why so many of us (Greg and me included) feel blessed to be part of this church family. So then let’s consider a question: Along what lines do you think our congregation would be drawn if we had two types of services? I submit that the greatest division would be between age groups (though I realize there are “traditionalists” and “non-traditionalists” represented in every age group across the board). What a loss we would experience by this! To be in community with one another, learning from one another and encouraging one another, is one of our greatest assets! I love seeing an older person talking with a younger person in the hallways, or a young family sitting next to an older couple in church. I love that when we sing traditional hymns it’s resonating with people who grew up with this musical language, and I love that the youth lift up their voices right along with the other generations around them. It brings me joy to see all generations entering into worship wholeheartedly, even on the songs that are out of their comfort zone. Why do we do this? Because we love the Lord, and we love each other!

Kevin Navarro, in his book The Complete Worship Service, imagines what worship in heaven will be like: “There will not be separate worship services for builders, boomers, busters, and the emerging generations. Our people-blindness will be lifted, and we will see a child, worshiping with us for the very first time. We will see a senior citizen with a new appreciation. Our ears will echo with the words of a lady from Bangladesh shouting at the top of her lungs, ‘He is worthy! He is worthy!’”

I, for one, can’t wait. But then, maybe on one level, we don’t have to.

Worshiping with you,

Jeanelle