The "Contemporvant" Church

During the past year, Jay and I have visited many, many churches in Huntersville and the surrounding areas.  Although we visited quite a few churches when we first moved to Apex and Christiansburg before settling on our "church home," our Sunday morning worship experiences have been much different this time around than they were before. 

In the not-so-distant past, the "contemporary worship" services were seen as necessary departures from the more traditional services that many saw and continue to see as formulaic.  Although Jay and I have attended several churches during the past year that still offer a "traditional worship" service or "blended service", most services are now contemporary.  What I find particularly interesting about the overwhelming majority of the worship services at the "contemporary churches" is that they are as formulaic (if not more so) as the "traditional worship" services.  Recently, one of my friends posted a link on FB to a satirical video about the modern worship experience.  This video sums up so well the typical contemporary worship service in many of the churches that Jay and I have attended since moving to Huntersville: http://vimeo.com/11501569.

The truth of the matter is that I like for a worship service to be structured.  I like being able to follow church programs and to know what's coming next.  I do not, however, like for worship leaders to dress, act, or talk a particular way simply to copy a "contemporary formula."  After all, I attend worship services to grow in my relationship with God not to be entertained.  As long as a service is authentic with a primary focus on true worship, I will like it -- traditional or contemporary.