| I lead music at the contemporary worship service at | | | | connotation for a worship service. The phrase, |
| our church, but I work as a choir director at the local | | | | "without basis in the object's qualities," should set off |
| high school for my "day job." I have a front row | | | | red flags in the mind of any pastor or worship leader. |
| view of changing trends in teenage fashion in this | | | | Just because something is popular does not mean it |
| position. Sometimes I smile, sometimes I grimace, and | | | | is also of high quality. We should strive for the |
| sometimes I just shake my head and laugh. | | | | highest quality music possible in our worship services. |
| As a child of the 80's, I really have no right. We | | | | The definition for the word "contemporary" is much |
| certainly had our share of silly fashions in that decade. | | | | easier to live with. The scripture tells us to "Rejoice in |
| I'm glad that digital photography didn't exist at the | | | | the Lord always" in Philippians 4:4, and to "Pray |
| time - the few pictures that survived are bad | | | | without ceasing" in First Thessalonians 5:17. Both |
| enough. I would share a few horror stories, but some | | | | strongly suggest that worship should be a constant, |
| things are best left in the past. | | | | present tense experience. The question is, when you |
| I've been on the job for over 20 years now, which I | | | | are choosing musical styles for worship, how can you |
| suppose qualifies me as a veteran teacher. One of | | | | tell the difference between "fads" and things that are |
| the things that I have found interesting to watch is | | | | just "current"? |
| how teenage fashion spreads to the general | | | | When it comes to clothing choices, spotting the |
| population. | | | | difference isn't that difficult. When you are buying |
| High school fashion obviously leaks into college, with a | | | | new clothes, "contemporary" styles are really the |
| few exceptions. Letterman's jackets are taboo, | | | | only choice you have unless you shop in specialty |
| which comes as a horrible surprise to those who | | | | "vintage" stores. Some might argue that this in itself |
| didn't manage to letter until the spring of their senior | | | | is a fad. If you wear a leisure suit in this century, you |
| year. You can add fraternity and sorority t-shirts to | | | | have not made a conservative choice. |
| the mix, but other than that, things really don't | | | | We may consider ourselves to be "In the world, but |
| change much. It's when college students graduate | | | | not of the world", but few Christians manage to |
| and enter the work force that things really get | | | | remove themselves from culture so much that they |
| interesting. | | | | can't tell the difference between conservative |
| Once they are out of college, they enter the "adult" | | | | fashions and "on the edge" clothing choices. Most |
| world. Young adults, but still adults. At this time, they | | | | people can recognize a fad when they spot one. |
| have to make certain fashion decisions. "College | | | | We should bear in mind that fads aren't necessarily |
| Fashions" can be worn during free time, but many | | | | always a bad thing. I admit to being old enough to |
| have to make a serious investment in wardrobe | | | | have been around when digital watches were |
| when the first "real job" comes along. Most realize | | | | introduced. They started out with all of the makings |
| that fashions that worked fine in high school and | | | | of a fad, but are hardly a fad anymore. I imagine my |
| college just won't work in the adult world. | | | | grandfather felt the same way during the transition |
| I have noticed that young teachers, especially female | | | | from pocket to wrist watches. |
| ones, sometimes fail to make this transition. Either | | | | Styles of music will inevitably come and go as they |
| consciously or subconsciously, they feel that they will | | | | always have. Some of them will be worldly fads that |
| relate to students better if they stay in "teen | | | | we should avoid introducing to worship services. |
| fashion" mode. They sometimes dress as if to say | | | | Some will gain general acceptance, and be perfectly |
| "look, I'm just like you! I'm not like them." This usually | | | | adaptable for use in worship. |
| doesn't end well. They give the impression of being | | | | Brahms' German Requiem springs to mind every time |
| insecure, trying to hold on to their youth by seeking | | | | I consider this subject. I consider it one of the most |
| the acceptance of teens, not as confident adults | | | | beautiful works of all time, offering comfort to those |
| worthy of respect. | | | | who have suffered loss through scriptures that are |
| This "fashion faux pas" is not just limited to young | | | | often included in funeral services. |
| teachers. Most of us can think of people who have | | | | Few today consider it the departure from tradition |
| tried to stretch the fashions of the young a little too | | | | that it was in it's time. It was written in German, the |
| far into adulthood. The saying, "age is only a state of | | | | language of the congregation, rather than the usual |
| mind," will only take you so far. Try to convince | | | | Latin. It bypassed the texts traditionally used for |
| yourself that it still applies when you see a middle | | | | requiems, choosing a completely different set of |
| age mom trying to sport the same faddish style that | | | | scriptures. It also made use of the dreaded "Diabolos |
| her 15 year-old daughter is wearing. | | | | in musica," (the Devil in music) - the interval of a |
| What is the connection to contemporary worship? | | | | diminished 5th. Considered to be "evil" in prior |
| The question is, are we committing the same | | | | centuries, Brahms had the choir sing it twice in a row, |
| "fashion faux pas?" In an attempt to be relevant to | | | | just in case the congregation missed it the first time. |
| each generation, are we committing similar horrors by | | | | History looks back on Brahms as a conservative |
| drawing on current fads in music in an attempt to | | | | composer when compared to his contemporaries. |
| connect with the young? It's a valid question, and an | | | | Even so, the German Requiem was certainly a |
| analogy that is worth exploring. | | | | departure from the norm, and established a new |
| Many in traditional churches make an instant leap | | | | direction in music composition. |
| from the word "contemporary" to "fad". The | | | | Music for church worship services will continue to |
| distinction between the words is an important one. | | | | change in the same way, but change for the better |
| "Contemporary" is defined by Miriam-Webster as | | | | is never a bad idea. God grant us all the wisdom to |
| "belonging to or occurring in the present," while the | | | | tell the difference between the "faddish" and the |
| word "fad" is "an intense and widely-shared | | | | "contemporary", and the talent to guide the worship |
| enthusiasm for something, especially one that is | | | | practices of our time without compromising the |
| short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities." | | | | quality of the music, or the integrity of the message. |
| The word "fad" should certainly have a negative | | | | |