Once a Christian has been liturgical (we used to be able to say “Reformed” when referring to tradition) for a significant amount of time they begin to see some things differently, especially when it comes to worship and the arts, and just how and where these two are to properly intersect. Those Christians that are steeped within the baptistic/evangelical world simply cannot see what the liturgical folk see. I know that may be offensive to some, but whoever said the Christian faith and the pursuit of sanctification would please everyone?

When one becomes cultivated by the singing and chanting of the Psalms, the richness of historical hymns and the power of the symbolic, one cannot help to notice how very silly and backwards modern pop-culture is. I believe today’s pop-culture is feministic  - close your ears all you passive men…no, I mean open them ;)

Turn your radio dial to the newest pop-culture Christian station and listen to the songs and the dialog. The songs, for the most part, are feminine. They require one to perch their head out and embrace their lighter side as if singing to a female lover or a baby! But God is not a baby; nor is He female. God is masculine in nature and mature as He can be.

In Deuteronomy 27-28 and Joshua 8, we can see how the people of God worshiped. They did not sit in a circle, hold each-others hands, and then sing the latest love poems - which they did have - with changed lyrics to accommodate the Bible. No, one tribe shouted from one slope of Mount Gerizim and the other shouted from the slope of Mount Ebal. This was passionate, deliberate, and robust proclamations toward a God that delivers from the enemy! Rhythm and melody where not the main thrust, but the voices and masculine passions of the people were.

Ancient liturgy cultivates one to be a warrior. It brings one to a point of submission and reverence to a mighty God that has sustained throughout all history. Our God did not ‘catch his second wind’ sometime in the early 70s. He’s not a Baby Boomer ;) Our God is an ancient God that has been through tremendous battle. He does not want to be lullabied or romanced. He wants to be worshiped.