Christian believers who are alert to contemporary developments in the area of worship are, undoubtedly, aware of what have come to be known as “worship wars.” Though disputes about Christian doctrine or teaching can become heated, they seldom compare in intensity of feeling and conviction with disputes about what is proper in the public worship […]

Christianity has never had a very strong presence in Japan. In fact, with industrialization, Japan has become one of the most secular nations on earth. But right now, thousands of Japanese are hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ in a new, or should I say old, way—and they’re embracing it. The evangelist responsible for leading […]

The Reformed tradition has exhibited a range of thinking and practice regarding the use of patriotic music in corporate worship. Does the practice of free speech warrant the State’s advocacy of civil religion? Conversely, does this social freedom justify the Church’s promotion of the state as a quasi-confessional institution. The state, as a minister of […]

“The worship wars.” The very term sends shivers down many a church member’s spine. Although the phrase was probably coined with tongue in cheek, “war” is too often an apt description for the grim struggle many congregations have been facing in the past few decades. At the heart of the confrontation lies a debate over […]

Recently a URC minister shared with me some fascinating comments on a cappella worship. On the way home from synod he had visited a congregation that sings psalms exclusively and without musical accompaniment. Comparing it with the norm of organ- or piano-accompanied singing across our own federation, he observed that the non-accompanied congregational singing at […]