Personal Preferences

Ever since our church has been in "worship wars", as it has been labeled, I have heard so many people say, "You really should not express your 'personal preferences' and we must all 'defer to one another in Christian love'." Now I know that deferring to one another in love is a Biblical concept and even though it is hard, it is the right thing to do. However, I don't think that having a personal preference is wrong - or even expressing it. We have lumped the two together so much that now what we have is people being afraid of being politically/spiritually incorrect by saying what they like or don't like and even saying, "I don't care what kind of music we have." So - I am going to tell you what I personally like, and maybe what I don't like, too! I like new music. I love praise and worship music accompanied by many forms of instrumentation. I like guitars, drums, flutes, pianos, keyboards, penny whistles, and harmonicas. I like lots of harmony contrasted with octave single melody lines. I like some eighties music being sung by an ensemble with four or six part harmony and accompanied by well done tapes. I like solo singing with a video in the background. I like many styles of music, but not too much of any one kind - that just bores me. Well, truthfully, I could sing praise and worship music, when it is done well, all night long without being bored. I can take a little country, a little rap, and some gospel. I will tolerate hard rock and even screamo, if I love the people who are playing it. I love hymns. I never want to be completely without hymns - they are a rich heritage and the words are comforting and meaningful. I love hymns done with a new arrangement mostly, but on occasion I like them played simply on the piano. I don't like to sing the same old choruses that I have been hearing for forty years and pretend they are meaningful or even "new". I would like to put many of them to rest. I don't like learning "old" choruses that I never knew but can tell by the style that they are past their prime. Most of them are cheesy. I enjoy choir music, when it is done with excellence - we just don't have that much any more. I like to sing in the congregation. I don't like to wear choir robes and I think they are pretentious. I like using the screen. I also don't mind using hymn books - but want to use the screen for choruses because I like to read the words - they are not in the hymn books. I like a worship service led by a team of people rather than just one person. Of course, the team needs to be led by someone, though. I am not as fond of "solos" as I used to be - but I like them on occasion. I like standing, sitting, raising hands, closing eyes, dark or bright rooms, scripture and prayer, and videos or slide shows. I like the room full of young and old people together, praising Jesus. I like instruments only, sometimes - with words on the screen just to read, sometimes.

I am sure I haven't covered it all - but I feel better, just because I got to say it. I DO prefer some music over others. Ahhhh!!