If you’ve been to a church at any time in the past 30 years, you have no doubt been subjected to the “worship wars.” Contemporary vs. Traditional. Modern vs. Postmodern. Those on the traditional side say the conflict is ultimately a matter of theology. Those on the contemporary side say it is ultimately a matter of relevance.I’ve got my own opinions about this question, and - just for the record - I’m a traditionalist when it comes to matters of worship. When I hear people talk about relevance, I want to ask: “Relevant to whom?” Any attempt at relevance is by definition an exclusionary activity. In other words, attempts to be culturally relevant to a teenager are exclusionary for an elderly widow. The Body of Christ should be about bringing the teenager and the grandmother together, not driving them apart. Corporate worship should be about what is universal to us all, not about what is unique to the few.
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Paul knew suffering - he knew what it meant to be stoned, flogged, left for dead, shipwrecked, snake bit and eventually martyred. Speaking of suffering the Apostle said, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down; but not destroyed . . . .” Whether we suffer directly for the sake of the gospel or simply suffer the consequences of a fallen world we will “suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” This is the testimony of all of Scripture.
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