PUTTING AN END TO WORSHIP WARS - Elmer Towns

sure, is that churches are different from one another, and they worship differently from one
another.
Religious feelings will be as different as the intensity each reflect. Some churches will
always feel like a New England Puritan congregation with a few hymns, prayers, followed by a
sermon. Other churches feel like school with people taking notes and the pastor explaining the
Bible with an overhead projector. Some churches feel like a self-help therapy session with
listeners searching for healing of wounds and reconciliation of relationships. The minister is the
counselor with the spiritual gift of mercy-showing. Still other churches will sing the songs of
their culture, they will sway and play the tambourine. Some will smile to the strumming of a
guitar, or the ultimate, a mariachi band. Still some of the people shout, chant and the preacher is
like a cheer-leader, guiding the congregation in praises and participatory response.
The differences in churches are deeper than the differences in doctrinal distinctives or the
separation between denominations. There are cultural and social differences that affect the way
they worship. There is such a vast cultural difference between people, that we would only expect
they would worship differently.
Each past generation has fought its own theological battle. This means that theological
issues that divided the church were carefully examined by the church. Good men examined them
carefully, disagreed passionately and finally exhausted every shade of meaning. Thereafter, the
issues may still divide good men, but then they understood the implications that divided them
and they accepted one another, and went their separate ways. They stopped fighting over their
disagreement. They loved one another in their diversity.
That battle today is over worship.
FINAL WORD
Why is it when leaders get their hands on religion, one of the first things they want to do
is to use religion to control people. First, religious leaders want to put people in their place, and
second, they want to keep them in their place. Too often the church is guilty of manipulation and
coercion to bring people into line. And the church uses worship to control people, rather than
allowing worship to release people and give them freedom.
Jesus did not come to set up an organization with rules. He is life, and came to give us
life, freedom from addiction and the excitement of having our sins forgiven. Jesus did not come
to force people to conform to outward laws, but Jesus came with a radically different approach.
He offered people escape from selfishness, pettiness and sin, to live free in Christ. The church's
purpose is not to make people outwardly conformed, even to conform to worship. Jesus gives us
a new desire to fellowship with God and to worship God. Jesus offers His followers the privilege
of touching God in worship and having God touch them.
We must invite everyone to worship God, to touch God, and have God touch them.