The first month of the new school year calls for a lot of church-hopping by the students of Grove City College. Whether freshmen are trying to find a church to call home for the next four years, or upperclassmen are checking out a new option, the search for churches is alive and well at the Grove. When I ask people about their opinions on a church, they usually talk about the worship. The biggest complaints are:

“The worship just really didn’t do anything for me.”

“Their music is too contemporary. I feel like I’m at a concert.”

“The worship is too traditional.”

These three statements all relate to a common misconception about worship – worship is for us. Here’s the thing, though -- it’s not. Merriam-Webster defines worship as “reverence offered to a divine being or supernatural power; an act of expressing such reverence.” If worship means showing respect for God, then why are we so concerned with what worship will do for us? Why do we only consider worship good worship if it fits our taste in music?

Don’t get me wrong. I understand that some people may find one type of music easier to worship with. However, worship is a time for us, as created beings, to give praise and glory to our Creator. This means that we should focus on the words we are singing and our attitude while singing and not whether we are led by a choir and organ or a guitar and drum set.

As someone who has grown up in the church her whole life, I have definitely seen a variety of complaints. I don't want anyone to think I am trying to single out college students. The reality is, everyone who has experienced worship can remember a time when they were looking forward to the end of a "bad" song. There is a constant battle over whether a church will try to reach the young people with the newest Hillsong single or keep the senior adults happy with a classic hymn. Whichever decision the worship leader chooses will be considered wrong by at least one member of the congregation. Imagine how on fire for Christ we would be if we decided to focus less on the style of worship and more on who we are worshiping. How many more people could we reach for His kingdom if they didn’t see us bickering over something as silly as the music style?

This idea has been something I have been thinking about a lot recently. I have often found myself in a worship service singing, but not actually paying attention to the words I am saying. I have found that a negative attitude toward the chosen worship style can easily be flipped around when you focus on the lyrics that are being sung. How can anyone possibly be upset about something as silly as the volume of music when they are truly focused on bringing praise and glory to their Creator?

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:1-3