Yes, let it be heard here: I AM AN OLD FOGEY!
Part of my extended family attended church at my Mother’s church this Sunday. My oldest sister and two of her children, my youngest sister and her husband, and a friend of theirs from Wisconsin, Dear Husband and I attended the contemporary service. I have tried to “go with the flow” and just worship and not be critical, but the contemporary service is not for me.
I studied music and music education. Along the way I realized that my way of worshiping was going to involve music. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” And I did, and have. But, at this particular church, for the contemporary service, they post the lyrics on the screens at the front of the church and have two (or more) people at the front of the church leading the hymns. There is no written music to read. It is extremely difficult to sing out (and make a joyful noise), if you don’t know the music.
Okay, perhaps if they sang the same songs over time, you might begin to learn the music, but as a visitor I am muffled and can’t encourage those around me to sing with me. It defeats my worship, and leaves me feeling cranky.
I understand the reasons for what’s being done. The church is saving on the cost of hymnals, and the cost of royalties to project the music on the screens. Perhaps many younger people have not learned to read music, so the hymnal is wasted on them. And the modern music is more in line with what younger people hear and like.
I miss the traditional hymns and the traditional parts of the Protestant services. I miss being able to harmonize and lift my voice in worship. Clearly, I will have to attend the earlier service in the future.
The old fogey has spoken!
Arrrgh!!!
It's just my state of mind!
Buffy–You have a touch of the same thing that my mother had. She didn’t like for any musical instrument to be used in church, other than a piano. I’m sure it was because a piano was the only musical instrument available to small, poor churches with which she grew up.
I must say that it is disconcerting to me to attend a funeral (my only occasion to be inside a church) and have all of the audio-visual displays. It seems so commercial, which (as I understand it) is not the reason to be holding church services. The priest at Aunt V’s funeral spoke all of the rosary and service into a bluetooth arrangement hanging around his face!
Possibly. Given my age, I may be reacting to the change of worship. I really don’t mind having a wide range of musical instruments used in services. I particularly like orchestral instruments or wind band instruments, but I’d be happy if those instruments were playing GOOD jazz arrangements. I think the problem is that I don’t care for contemporary Christian music. The melodies are limited in range, and lacking in individuality. It’s long on emotion and short on elegance of composition. It appeals to those who listen to pop music, and want to sing along with something resembling pop music.
What I noticed about the comtemporary service was that I miss the musical cues for specific parts of the service. A good example is that the Doxology is not sung following the offering, and there is no choral response to the benediction.
I’m simply an old fogey, and I want to worship in the form I learned as a child, and continued to use as an adult. Luckily, this church gives me the option of traditional or contemporary, so you know which I’ll choose. *S*