Since the first century, Christians have recognized a threefold mission of the church: worship, evangelism and edification. But of these three, the greatest is surely worship. It is the Christian’s highest occupation. We were created to worship. Augustine aptly described the yearning for worship within man when he said, Man is restless, until he finds rest in Thee.

Worship is a battle ground today in evangelical churches world over. Many worship wars are going on. There is considerable confusion in the matter of worship from those who have departed from the central truths of the Scriptures. Church leaders are struggling to accommodate the various trends, styles and forms of worship. We hear about traditional worship, contemporary worship, creative worship, renewal worship, so on and so forth. Many churches are forced to adopt styles of worship that are particularly attractive to the young generation. Ironically, the young people determine the theology of many churches!! Recent evangelical experiments in worship have really denigrated the concept of a God-centered worship.

​Disagreement over worship when it is just over methods is not that serious of an issue. But when the disagreements result from theology, it is a grave matter. Theology is the core, or substance, of truth. Changing theology is always risky business.

​For at least the last quarter of a century, people have had a growing thirst for God. All missiological studies have proved this beyond a shadow of doubt. Along with the thirst for God comes a growing thirst for worship. In many Christian denominations, people do not have an opportunity to spontaneously express themselves before God in praise, prayer and worship. Their spiritual emotions are suppressed. They are just spectators of a church drama enacted on stage by a group of professional clergy. The widespread influence of various types of Charismatic and Renewal theology have really liberated thousands of people from such denominational slavery to become more spontaneous and expressive in their worship. There is also a growing emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. This trend has spread like wildfire. The hunger for increasing spontaneity and freedom in a Holy Spirit-inspired-worship is to be welcomed and appreciated. The Brethren assemblies have boldly upheld this truth for the last many years. This dispensation of the church is also called the dispensation of the Holy Spirit in our theology.

​New worship trends have revolutionized many churches. The total biblical doctrine of worship is redefined according to the preferences of worshippers, taking certain facets of worship to the extreme. This new approach to worship has several characteristics:

​1. Worship is more demonstrative. Your feelings and emotions are to be expressed in worship. Kneeling, clapping, standing, shouting, walking (this includes prayer walking), swaying to the music, crying, etc. are part of this phenomena. If these elements are not there, it is not considered worship.

2. All gatherings should start with “Praise and Worship.” It is basically a music performance by a worship team. The services are often modeled after secular concerts. If there is no music, there is no worship. Worship is equated to a musical performance.

3. The concept of the EKKLESIA (church) is minimized or even lost. The emphasis is on the gathering of a group of people - believers or unbelievers. Their needs and subjective experiences are paramount.

4. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper has no importance.

5. Worship is always defined in terms of the individual’s experiences and feelings. Worship is an emotional exercise that generates spiritual feelings. The worshipper becomes the object of worship!

6. The atmosphere of worship can be very casual, to the point of no reverential awe of the holy presence of the Almighty.

7. In certain groups, worshippers are even encouraged to be overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord (in an ecstatic swoon) resulting in healing, ecstatic utterances, slaying in the Spirit, holy laughter, barking and even vomiting. These disruptive phenomena are interpreted as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in worship.

8. Worship has no definite form or style. It expresses a range of emotions and feelings from the heart of the worshipper.

9. The sincerity of the worshipper is more important than the doctrine of worship.

10. Motivating people to creative worship is more important than teaching them the Bible. Or in other words, spiritual entertainment is more important than spiritual education. Evangelism is more important than the true doctrine of worship.

​One has to evaluate these trends in the light of the Word of God, not on the basis of traditions or preferences. Disagreement over methods is not our concern; the departure from the truth of God’s Word is. We are not called to modernize or update worship, make it more relevant, contemporary, attractive and appealing to young or old. Fighting deadness, coldness, traditions and boredom in churches cannot be done through replacing biblical worship.