Affix Label Here

Conservative vs. liberal.

When I think of those words I initially think of politics but every once in while it brings to mind church matters.  I've visited many churches where this label is affixed. "We are a conservative church" or "We are contemporary or liberal" I find these terms funny when used in church. And sure, when you walk into a church and see women in long, pleated, floral skirts and men in ties you will assume this is a conservative church and if you see people in jeans and casual wear you will assume the otherwise or if you hear hymns you will assume conservative and if you drums you will assume liberal.

So what makes a church conservative and what makes it liberal? The clothes? the Music? I've actually visited a church once that was very conservative by those terms and after many discussions with the people of that church I found that in their personal lives, outside of church services, they exercised their liberties quite extensively. I also visited liberal church who when talking to them personally found they had very in depth bible studies and renounced all forms of Christian freedoms while quoting 1 Corinthians 10:23: "Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive."  It got me to thinking that if we really wanted to label a church conservative or liberal, then perhaps we should dig deeper than an outward appearance or service type.

Fortunately, I'm not into labels and do not plan on labeling anyone or any church in this blog. While thinking these things, my mind starts to wonder to why we need to label anyone at all and I immediately begin to drift to the Worship Wars of the early 90's. Because I was in my early 20's, the worship wars resonated with me especially because I was able to reason things out on my own accord. The worship wars were my first taste of Christian church debate. It was a brutal debate actually. It caused divisions and discord among many churches. People attributed spiritualness and even sin with the style of worship. I remember listening to a pastor as he joined in on the debate and yet clearly announced that neither side was right but that instead obedience was the key to being filled with the Spirit. Obedience? Woah, that was way off topic. Or was it?

Now, as you are reading this you are probably analyzing to see what my point of view on the worship wars is or if I am a conservative or liberal and well, I will tell you now that from the beginning of this blog to the end, I write with a smile on my face - a smirk even. I laugh at the entire discussion and my own stupid need to even write this blog.

But on with the blog! [*smile and *smirk]

Little did I know that the Worship Wars did not begin in the early 90's but in 1st century Palestine. "Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem," said the Samaritan woman at the well to Jesus. In first century, there was discussion on where was the right place to worship. Jesus' answer to the woman at the well and to us today is the same, “Woman,” Jesus replied. I love that by the way. Only certain men can get away with addressing a woman by calling her "woman".  Jesus continues, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” [John 4:20-24]

Because we are all different people, culturally, gender-wise and age-wise, its no surprise we will have different types of church services. You can call it conservative or liberal, loud or quiet, quaint or energetic, but the preference in style is not what is right or wrong. The only right and wrong are those who do it truthfully and those who untruthfully. Those who do it spiritually or those who merely do it physically.  Physically and spiritually? Do you just go with the motion, attend church services, because that's what you do or do you truly seek to give God reverence. Can you revere God anywhere other than in church services? Of course you can! You can worship spiritually at home, in the car, at church, any where.  There are many who serve God physically, I mean, you can be a great guitarist or singer (physically) but without spiritual surrender, giving homage to God, it is not worship in spirit. You could wear a long pleated skirt during church service and later that night put on a mini-skirt while you visit the local bar. Who are you truthfully? Are you a mini or pleated? Just kidding on that one, mini or pleated shouldn' t define you. The one thing God will reject is an untruthful worshiper - a faker.

God wants worshipers who will worship him in Spirit and in Truth. That is what He seeks and that is what I hope we are or will become.