My first contribution to TFTD resulted from a conversation over a meal when comparing older and newer hymns and songs and I was reminded of that again when undertaking my daily Bible reading recently.
The writer was commenting on the reason why, in Genesis chapter 4, Abel’s offering was accepted but Cain’s was not, and the notes started with the following comment.
“Christians have been notorious for fighting over styles of worship. Contemporary or traditional? High church or low church? Seeker sensitive or confessional? While the labels may have changed, the debates about worship have existed for centuries. How tragic that the worship of God which should lead to unity, often becomes a source of division.” The writer didn’t mention the debate over which hymn book to use or the speed of singing!
Once again, I found my daily reading to be challenging because, whether we like it or not, we cannot help having preferences, but for me, the challenge is my attitude to songs that “I am not so keen on”.
A long time ago, one of my daughters came home from a Sizewell retreat singing the words of “Jubilate everybody” and my immediate reaction was that I didn’t like it but it was not long before the catchy tune and words changed my attitude. The danger is that the older we get the more challenging it may be to accept different approaches to worship – or anything that involves other people!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may our reactions to the contributions of others be based, not on our personal preferences but on your character. Amen