Have you ever said this?  ”I just can’t worship to that style of music.”

I know I have.  I think I especially struggle with this since I am a worship leader.  Music makes up a big portion of my life.  I know what I like to play, as well as the type of songs I like to write.  So, I admittedly bring an amount of personal preference into any church I’m in.  After all, isn’t that a big reason why we have so many churches?  If you don’t like the music or speaking style, just go to another church down the street.  Forget community.  :)

A few years ago, I was at a fairly traditional service here in Arizona. I stood and followed along with the songs, all the while thinking that I could not possibly worship the God of the Universe with music like this.  I also thought things such as, “I would play it this way…” or “It would be so much better if…”.  It was at that point that God got my attention.  I felt him say, “Josh-worship me.  If you can’t worship me with this music then don’t bother worshiping me with yours.”  My worship to God was completely conditional.  And I don’t think I’m the only one who has ever felt that way.

I think conditional worship is gaining momentum in the church these days.  We have two things working against us:  a innate selfish nature, and a society where it’s all about “having it my way.”  I was reading Colossians 2 today in the Message translation.  Check out what Paul says in verse 16.

So don’t put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days.  All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ.

No matter what the atmosphere, no matter what the style, God is still God outside our personal preferences.  We should come together as believers expecting God to do something wonderful and new, instead of inspecting the situation to make sure we can worship Him there.  Of course there are distractions and things that may hinder us from focusing, but the good news for us is that He is who He says He is, and our expectations can never box Him in.