PUTTING AN END TO WORSHIP WARS - Elmer Towns

method known as Sunday School has been in existence a little over 200 years. To understand the
distinction between methods and principles, note the following statement:
Methods are many,
Principles are few.
Methods may change,
But principles never do.
Therefore, the differences in worship deal with method, not principle. The principle of
singing (Colossians 3:16) is a biblical principle, however the method of singing may change from
culture to culture. The principle of public prayer is commanded, the method may be pastoral
prayer, lay prayer, concerts of prayer, responsive prayer or corporately praying the Lord's Prayer.
Some of the tensions mentioned below are covered in the fact we are dealing with ethnic
matters that change from culture to culture and from time to time. Other tensions deal with
ontological matters that embrace the very nature of worship. Still other tensions fall in the gray
area, usually the difficulty determining if a tension is substance or application.
AREAS OF TENSION
1. Being sensitive to unbelievers at a cost of violating biblical values. Certain voices are
raising concerns that the seeker-type services have violated the biblical mandate of worship,
because it targets the unsaved rather than the saved. The seeker-driven church (predominantly
identified with Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Illinois) is a
church that fills a niche by appealing to non-church people. As such, the entire church service is
planned to present the gospel to the unchurched, within the unchurched vocabulary, lifestyle, and
social setting; with a view of bringing unchurched people to Jesus Christ.
Bill Hybels and I spoke at a leadership conference, Skyline Wesleyan Church, Lemon
Grove, California, sponsored by Dr. John Maxwell, pastor of the church. In this service, Bill
Hybels indicated that he did not have a cross in his church because it offended the unsaved, he
felt unbelievers would attend a church building that looked more like a civic center. Hybels
claimed when the church looked too liturgical, it raised barriers so the unchurched would not
listen to the gospel. Hybels went on to say that he did not want people to lift their hands when
they prayed, because that makes the unchurched uneasy; and for the same reason he didn't want
to pray "Our Father who art in Heaven", or sing, "This is my Father's world." Hybels uses
contemporary drama, because Unchurched Harry/Harriet watches drama on television and it is a
vehicle that he/she understands. Also, he mentioned the music should have the same beat that
they hear during the week. Hybels noted that the unsaved do not listen to choirs, organs and
acoustical pianos. They listen to electronic music, small singing groups, and they want sermons