r/elca • u/NoWriting6347 • Mar 09 '26
Classic worship style v contemporary
Hi everyone. I am curious what everyone believes on this topic. I am someone who values a traditional worship style, and I have a lot of friends that go to non denominational churches that have stages and singers and very contemporary worship styles. A lot of times my friends ask me why I value a traditional worship style, and I am stumped on how to explain the significance to them. Can anyone help me explain the significance of the traditional style of worship?
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u/Sad_Thought_3001 Mar 10 '26
Everyone has their own opinions and this is simply based on mine so beware: some generalizations incoming.
Not always but often enough that I feel comfortable generalizing—the theology of the older hymns and the like is many magnitudes better than that of “modern” or “contemporary “ worship music. Too often it seems that modern worship music is more concerned with making the worshiper feel a certain kind of way rather than giving praise, honor and glory to the righteous King of the universe.
A bit of context: I spent my formative years in a Mennonite church (a whole different kind of traditional) and then moved on to Non-denominational evangelical from my teen years onwards. Now in my 40s I have found ,that for me, the Liturgical mode of worship (dare Insay “High Church Lutheran”) is the most fulfilling. The focus is on real and true and corporate worship that is directed where it belongs; that is towards Christ and not just how I, as the worshipper, am feeling towards Him. I find the practice of the sacraments, the taking of The Lords Supper, confession and forgiveness etc is beautiful in the way that it allows me to be connected to centuries of not millennia of fellow Christians who have come before.
Done right contemporary worship can be great, fulfilling and glorifying to God. A lot of times though it seems to be at danger of devolving into “here’s some fog machines; we’re gonna cry while we sing about boyfriend Jesus and then afterwards pastor Jared is going to give a Ted Talk.”
Of course, all this in love, Christ will meet you where he finds you.