Former Alabama pastor discusses ‘worship wars’

If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship?” Paul Basden asked during a May worship conference sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Basden, author of a book titled “The Worship Maze,” was pastor of Brookwood Baptist Church in Birmingham until earlier this year. He is now laying the groundwork for a new church in the Dallas area to start later in 2002.
   
Basden said many churches experience conflict over the appropriate style of worship. In some cases, he said, it escalates to “all-out war.”
   
“I’m pretty sure there was never one Baptist style of worship,” Basden said.
   
New worship styles are still emerging, he said, predicting even greater diversity in the future. In his 1999 book, Basden identified five different worship styles: liturgical, traditional, revivalist, praise and worship and seeker. In 2002, he said that list is “absolutely outdated.”
   
He is now editing a book for release in 2003 titled “Worship: Six Views,” in which he outlines six styles: formal/liturgical, traditional/hymn-based, contemporary music-driven, ancient-modern, charismatic and emerging postmodern.
   
Basden said the so-called worship wars boil down to confusion over three issues. In each instance, he said Christians have elevated their preferences into rules they believe should govern everyone.
   
First, he said, many people “think worship and worship styles are the same. They are not.”
   
“Worship is not worship style,” Basden said. “God is looking for those with a heart to worship.” Tadition and traditionalism constitute the second area of confusion, he said.
   
“Tradition is not necessarily bad, but traditionalism is always bad,” Basden said. “When we begin to worship our traditions, we have moved to traditionalism.”
   
Finally, Basden said, confusion reigns about culture and worship.
   
“Culture is changing and the church must change in response. This is simply the incarnational principle of Jesus Christ,” he said. “If you and I really want to reach secular people, then you and I must figure out how to communicate the good news in relevant ways.”
   
Basden suggested churches can learn from international missionaries who reach people, not by starting churches just like those they came from in the United States, but by planting churches indigenous to that culture.
   
“If we could just get clarity on these three matters, then I think the worship wars would cease,” he said.
Basden also outlined his current definition of worship, one he said changes regularly. It states: “Worship is encountering God’s greatness and His grace and surrendering to His will.”
   
“The pinnacle of worship is always surrendering to the will of God.” (ABP)