Skip to content ↓

Contemporary vs Traditional Music

9 Marks Ministries has a great article about which is right: contemporary or traditional music. Too often when people write about this subject it stems from one of two opposite viewpoints. The first is that any type of contemporary music is evil. These are the people who relate stories about the children of missionaries being told by the natives that their rock music is the very same music the natives left behind when they came to the Lord. These are the people who believe that guitars are somehow inherently evil while the organ somehow is God’s own instrument. On the other side of the argument we have people who say that since we no longer listen to hymns as part of popular entertainment they have no place whatsoever in our modern worship. Hymns date a church and appeal only to the old folks in the church, thus alienating the boomers, the busters and anyone younger than that.

Both of those arguments are irrational. It seems clear from Scripture that we can worship God in different ways and that no single form of music is inherently more right before God than another. And this is what appeals to me about the article I read this morning. The author, Vell Rives, does not condemn either form of music. I will spoil the surprise by saying that he does believe hymns are a better form of worship than contemporary music, but his reasons make sense. For example, he points out that hymns are designed specifically for worship where contemporary music is designed for personal enjoyment. He also says that the hymns we sing today are particulary beauitful and well-written. This is not to say that all hymns are good – just that generally only the best ones have stood the test of time.

I agree with his arguments. However, I do believe there is a place for more modern music and certainly have no problems singing “Here I Am To Worship” on a Sunday morning. I love to mix the old with the new. I do think that when we jettison the old we lose an important link to the church of past days. There is an inspiring continuity when we realize we are singing a song that believers sang hundreds of years ago, using the same tune and the same words to worship the same God. Many of those hymns will continue to be sung long after we are dead and gone.

You can read the article here.


  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (April 19)

    A La Carte: Why man needs God / Why nails matter / Kids’ picture books / MLK’s famous letter changed a DC church / How to mentor / A tearless eternity / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (TGBC)

    This weeks Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by The Good Book Company. They are giving away a bundle of their best-selling Good Book Guides that are designed to guide your head and your heart through God’s word. Each Good Book Guide includes a concise leader’s guide in the back.  The Bundle includes: Giveaway Rules: You…

  • A Light on the Hill

    A Light on the Hill

    In early 2020, CHBC, along with almost every other church in the world, was forced to contend with the opening days of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time Caleb Morell was working as Pastor Mark Dever’s personal assistant. Dever tasked him with finding out how the church had responded to the Spanish flu epidemic a…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (April 18)

    A La Carte: John Piper on being a loner / Snapchat is harming children / The most radical thing / How not to be secular / Three commentary mistakes / Jesus, your sorrow-bearer / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (April 17)

    A La Carte: The vibe shift / The Jurassic Park principle of Christian freedom / This is what power looks like / Don’t stay in the puddles / The awkwardness of Easter / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Airliner

    They Won’t Because They Can’t

    If you’ve flown recently, you have probably made the same observation I have: No one pays attention to the pre-flight safety videos. There may be the occasional uptick in interest after a well-publicized crash or near-disaster, but soon old habits return—people stuff their AirPods into their ears and stare at their phones rather than watch…