The Missing Element of Worship
by Tom Krauter, adapted from the book "The Missing Element fo Worship"
Let me tell you a story about two churches that appear the same, from a similar socio-economic status, the pastors even went to the same seminary, and they preach in nearly identical ways. The service styles are so similar you could listen to a recording of each and be hard pressed to tell which church it came from. The similarities, though, are only on the surface.
The first church -- for the sake of simplicity we'll call it First Church -- came to a crossroads a while ago. The younger generation wanted the church to use songs that were more up-to-date. Three-hundred-year-old songs played on an instrument that seemed about the same age were just not their cup of tea. They wanted lively music with understandable lyrics. When archaic words (like "here I raise my Ebenezer" or "naught be all else to me") were sung, they would snicker. From their perspective, the "funeral dirge music" needed more than a face lift. A Botox injection would not help. This clearly would take major surgery.
The older folks, on the other hand, were perfectly content right where they were. "These songs were good enough for grandpa and for pa and for me. They'll be good enough for you. Don't rock the boat. The majority of us here at First Church are happy with the way we do things. It ain't broke. Don't try to fix it.".
Quite the dilemma. Stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. Not much in the way of options here. Then something happened ...
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When it comes to the topic of worship, Tom Kraeuter is one of the most respected teachers
in the body of Christ today. His Worship Seminars are held all across North America. For more
information on any of Tom's books or seminars, go to www.training-resources.org.
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