When Is It Good To Be Selfish?

Are we willing to do the work?

Many congregations find themselves in the throes of "worship wars" where different groups within the faith community lobby to have worship changed into a particular style.  Many are enamored with technology and just cannot imagine a worship service without a screen to focus on.  Others want no part of the screen and wish worship to remain unchanged.  Still others insist on a "contemporary" service.  Such competing agendae can fragment a faith community to the extent that there are basically, multiple churches within one church.

Recently, a dear brother in Christ, who has been one of the most vocal in insisting on worship changes in his congregation, asked a heart-wrenching question:

Am I being selfish to expect worship to fit my own ideas?

Now there's a question.  And I have not been able to stop thinking about it.  Having recently joined what might be called the "worship team," it mirrors questions and concerns I have about structuring worship.

At heart, I am a traditionalist--not because it's easiest, but because the lectionary, images, the corporate prayer, the recitations, the music, the standing and sitting, and the responsorial readings are all designed to provide a spiralling, multisensory curriculum for the faith community.  If we follow the liturgical year, we follow Christ's life, over and over, deeper and deeper until it becomes the marrow of our spiritual bones.  That's its purpose, and all the vestments, banners, music, and liturgy serve that purpose.

Banners provide visual cues.

The traditional form of worship dates back to the medieval church when most parishoners were illiterate and needed the repetition, as well as the multisensory cues and symbols, to inculcate their faith.  The banners, glass art, musical instrumentation and style, and vestments were reflective of the technology and culture of the time. 

Only in the early-to-mid 20th century could the general population be considered literate enough to actually read Scripture for themselves.  Education, along with a proliferation of translations, transliterations, and paraphrases of Scripture, would indicate that the educational purpose of liturgy should be of lesser importance, but it has never been more important.  The many competing voices of "authority" can lead to confusion and disharmony.  Only in congress (little c) can the faith community resolve those conflicts and establish a culture.  If liturgy is the work of the people, then the people must work to create the liturgy and the culture in which it serves.

Now, to answer the question:  Yes and no.

If one individual in the faith community expects the liturgy and worship to conform to the individual's taste in music, technology, and language at the exclusion of the consideration of the other members of the community, then, yes, that individual is being selfish.

When in the midst of the storm,
pray.

If, however, one individual longs for worship to be a Spirit-filled time of restoration and transformation for all members of the community, then, no, the individual is not being selfish.  

When faced with the need for change, we often "go with what we know" and find like-minded folks with whom to link arms against "them."  This leads to fractious factions and division within the community.  Could we, instead, approach change with open minds and open hearts, listening intently and prayerfully to those with different ideas?

Will it be easy?  Competition (winning) is easy, but divisive; consensus is difficult, messy, protracted, and, in the end, the better way to preserve the community.  It's how a community should function.

So, the work is before us.  Let us proceed with listening ears, open minds, and prayerful hearts.  Lead us, Lord.