A banjo and mandolin led worship at our church this morning. Everyone likes a banjo and mandolin, hearing them played results in one smiling. Regardless of their fun nature, the congregation struggled to truly get into the worship, having difficulties connecting emotionally through worship music. Our traditional worship revolves around a musically talented team with contemporary songs, played with skill and passion. Nothing particular separates our worship team from others, but what made today different? Half the team playing were from our weekly worship team, only with a banjo and mandolin added.

Is this a problem?  Should different worship pose a problem in worship?  I don’t know if I want to answer this question. For a split second a crazy thought came into my mind. What if the church intended to challenge the congregation today?

The type of worship experienced in every church often becomes a marker, a label describing the church. Musical worship represents a small and honestly, minor theological role in the church. Yet musical worship is one of the major debates today and a prominent reason someone picks one church over another. But what if worship was no longer a label, but an activity not only to commune with God, but to look past the worldly aspect of music to simply seeing God? What if it is a spiritual exercise, forcing us to find God in areas we like, or dislike? I don’t know how much I would like such an experience. Forcing me out of my comfort zone is not why I go to church! But a thought lingers in my mind, what if it should be?