Why do worship music styles have to change?

Worship FAQs, part 7b – Why do worship music styles have to change?

“Sing a new song to the Lord!” exhorted the Psalmist. Of all the elements of the public worship of God’s Church, our new song and the Lord’s Supper alone will endure beyond this life.

So what is the Christian Church’s new song—our new song? In the context (Psalm 96 and 98), it is clear the Psalmist’s “new song” is defined primarily by the content and message of the song, rather than by its musical style. The Psalmist’s new song, flowing from a heart of faith, celebrated that God’s promise of the Messiah who would save all people from their sins was as good as done, eternal life in heaven was certain, and the “old song” of the condemnation of God’s law and the hopelessness of our human condition was obsolete. The “new song” is the Gospel message!

This Gospel is also our new song. “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!” This new song fills our voices and lives as we proclaim it to the world around us. It connects us with believers of all times and places, including those already singing it around the heavenly throne.

The Psalm verse has a secondary meaning, though, in that the Psalmist had just written a new Psalm for God’s people to sing. God’s people have always found it beneficial to write new song texts (always “to tell the old, old story”) and new musical settings (sometimes in new musical styles), as part of the ongoing renewal and reformation that is always necessary in the Christian Church on earth. This happens very naturally, as poets and composers, with God’s Word in their thoughts and faith in their hearts, sit down to write new songs for God’s Church in their specific time and place.

One of the marvelous things about God’s created gift of music is the immense variety possible. And God’s people throughout history have very naturally put the Church’s new song into nearly every musical style. In most cases, this has proven beneficial for the mission of the church in those times and places. Missionaries do the same as they work with local believers to utilize musical styles familiar to their mission prospects.

Will some popular musical styles of today prove beneficial in our worship? If we follow the natural pattern of renewal and reformation that has continued throughout the history of the church, then yes. If we are to show concern for the multitudes around us who know very little beyond popular culture, then yes. To what degree? And how quickly? These are difficult questions to answer, and I hope in any new songs to be written and sung, we make wise choices in service first and foremost to the new song of salvation and not to our personal preferences or popular opinion.