This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for more information.
(This post was written prior to 2016, in a blog entitled “Jubal’s Jottings.”)
The answer to this question is, “Not usually.” There is plenty of cry for “unity” and “one body” going around, but when it comes to worship, most churches seem to decide otherwise. I wish I had statistics on how many churches have made a choice for multiple styles of worship services under one roof. My suspicions are that there may be more of those than not anymore. Even those that don’t advertise multiple styles may in fact have multiple services inside the church, if you count youth services, children’s church, etc.
What is beginning to concern me more and more is that we have done a lot of intentional things that keep the one body split into many parts. It seems that corporate worship should be a place to work really hard to embody the unity of the church, as a true one body, focused on one true God. I know, I know, I can hear all of the reasons NOT to do that. I think there are also a lot of good reasons to make some sacrifices TO worship together. It would make such a great statement to have young worshiping with old, hymn with worship song, families sitting together at times, organ with band. In the old days we didn’t have all of these services…and we may not be better off with them.
Jubal, didn’t you just like the one service that you had? Much more simple!