PUTTING AN END TO WORSHIP WARS - Elmer Towns

of the congregation list each point diligently with the appropriate verse as the message
progresses.
As the pastor concludes his message, there is a special appeal to church members to apply
the principles of holiness to their life this week. Those with special needs are invited to come to
the altar for special ministry. Once again the praise team and worship band is leading in the
singing of familiar choruses. Many are making their way to front of the building to pray together
in small groups. Others appear to be making personal commitments in the pew as they sing.
Throughout the worship center this morning, there is a sense that God is present among his
people. People feel like they have been to church today.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE RENEWAL CHURCH?
When asked why their church exists, the pastors and people of most Renewal Churches
would simply respond "to worship God." While the style of worship in many of their churches
may be new and different, the concept is not. The old Presbyterian catechism began by
identifying the chief end of man as that of worshipping God and enjoying Him forever. The
leaders of the Renewal Church movement would argue they are simply accomplishing that
objective in a manner more consistent with the culture of their times. This different approach to
worship is most evident in the music used in their worship services.
When most people think of worship, their thoughts very quickly turn to music.
Congregational singing and church choirs and orchestras are an integral part of the worship
experience of many Christians. According to hymn writer Jack Hayford,
Worship may be possible without song, but nothing contributes more to its beauty,
majesty, dignity or nobility, nor to its tenderness and intimacy. There is a full spectrum of
purposes and practices of song in worship. The breadth of style, the endless melodic
possibilities, the delicate nuances of choral dynamics, the brilliant luster of instrumental
arrangement, the soul-stirring anthems of anointed choirs, the rumbling magnificence of giant
organs - all seem clearly to be a God-given means for our endless expansion in worship. New
musical expression is fitting as we each discover new things about the manifold wisdom of the
Lord our God. 1
The ultimate purpose of all church music should be to glorify God. The primary
emphasis of the book of Psalms, the hymn book of the Old Testament, was to glorify God.
Because Christian experience affects the whole person, Christian music should communicate
biblical content to the mind, should provoke an emotional experience and should lead to a
commitment of the will. The nature of our Christian commitment and daily walk with God
should be expressed in church music.
But worship also involves a human response to the majesty of God. Music aids in
worship because it helps us express our inner feelings toward God. The power of music is
emphasized throughout the Scripture. The power of a song can refresh a discouraged or
depressed person, bring about a state of physical well-being, and have a positive spiritual
influence on a person (1 Sam. 16:23). Throughout the Scriptures, the power of music is