WORSHIP REVOLUTION

A worship revolution is sweeping the globe. A new wave of worship is cutting a wide path through the Church, leaving in its wake an army of worshippers both young and old with an insatiable hunger for more of God.

Some call it a fresh anointing, a deep stirring, a release of the Spirit. But whatever you call it, one thing's for sure - the world of worship has been turned upside down.

While many churches have joined the movement, others have been hesitant to embrace 'all things new', preferring to hold on to revered and ancient traditions. The result in many places is a 'worship war', where strain from within and without has buckled the church. Some curse the old. Others mistrust the new. The body divides.

Too quickly we've labeled one another and split ranks, huddling around new terminology and expressions that in many cases distract us from the core of what worship is all about. We've raised our banners and segregated into two camps - the Shore Standers and the Wave Riders. Maybe you've seen them.

First,The Shore Standers. For them, the safest place amid change is to be firmly on land. After all, they've built an impressive sand kingdom (castles are for kids - when I'm at the beach with my nieces we build a kingdom!) and are determined to stay up all night if necessary to protect it from the pranks and antics of anyone who'd seek to knock it down.

Waves may come, but Shore Standers are determined to dig a deep enough moat (a requirement for any serious sand kingdom) and a high enough rampart wall to weather the rising tide. Shore Standers dig in for the long haul. To them, everything is sacred. They're not changing a thing.