As one of the older folks in our church, I have lived long enough to see an enormous change as decades have passed. From disputes over using hymn books versus displaying lyrics on the wall, to whether drums should be allowed inside the church, it sometimes feels as if we have been in a running battle over the subject of worship. Lines have been drawn, verbal weapons stockpiled, and strategies devised to prove that others hold inferior opinions and worship styles to ours. It is certainly easy to find something wrong. In fact, the secular press has done a bang-up job at pointing out the failures of Christians. And without dispute, there have been instances of compromise, worldliness and confusion that have crept into our corporate worship experience. But that is nothing new. Every generation has had its failures, including my own. But our hope is not in styles, talents, or personalities. Our hope lies in the Spirit of the Living God who has never left. He has remained with His church, generation after generation for the twenty centuries since His outpouring on the Day of Pentecost. He has always been at work renewing, restoring and remodeling as pleases Him best. Despite those things that annoy and irritate we older saints, about contemporary worship, our energies might be better employed in discovering what is good, lovely and of good report among those newest offering today. I will be delighted to hear others weigh in with their ideas, song suggestions and even disagreements this week as I endeavor to share a few songs that I have found to be a blessing. So, I thought, “Why not begin this series of the newest and best with a new version of the oldest hymn that we know of. ” Here is Chris Tomlin’s rendition of the ancient text of what has come to be called, “The First Hymn.” Have a blessed day everybody!
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. Psalm 145:4 NLT
praise2worshipdotnet 
As a former music minister/worship leader, I have been involved in various controversies through all of this. At this point in my life (having converted from Baptist to Lutheran a few years ago), I am grateful to God that there is room for all of it. I recently saw a post where someone mocked the contemporary style by posting a complex hymn lyric in a meme with “Everywhere I go I see You” repeated six or seven times.
What saddens me about that is, first, we should not ever mock anything. That is a stance that I have taken in recent years. Followers of Christ should never participate or engage in mockery of anything. Period. It is unbecoming and arrogant. The second thing that saddens me is that that particular song, written by Rich Mullins, is a very beautiful hymn (yes, I call it a hymn) that celebrates being able to see God everywhere we look. The quoted part is the very end of the song, which includes many more lyrics, right before it segues into the marvelous reprise of “Step by Step,” and is my favorite thing that Rich ever did.
Every Sunday morning, at my Lutheran church, we sing a hymn or two that I have never heard before. But we also include some contemporary (most of them are actually rather old, by now) choruses and songs during Communion time. And those of us who are privileged to sing the occasional solo during worship also include some more contemporary music, as well as traditional.
So yes. As a 67 year old man who has “seen it all,” I say with great joy that there is room for both and there is NO place for mocking things that we may not like.
Sorry this was so long. Also, thank you so much for sharing this beautiful hymn!! 💜💜
At 73 and having been involved with the worship team for twenty plus years we share a lot of those experiences. Thanks for sharing and, no it’s not too long.
Music is continually changing from high church chants to Wesleyan hymns modern choruses. And God has been with the composers and the performers as it changed.
However, technology has also changed and not for the better.
Would a parent give his children candy for breakfast just because they wanted it?
So, too, responsible leaders should love their congregations enough to NOT just give them what they want, when what they want is hyper loud ear damaging volume.
If you love someone will you protect them or damage them?
❤️&🙏, c.a.
Nothing loud in today’s music, which is why I posted this beautiful composition. I hope by week’s end we can find the good. There is always bad out there in every generation, but I am striving to focus on what is good.
See https://capost2k.wordpress.com/2025/05/24/can-you-hear-when-the-spirit-speaks-to-the-churches/ and https://capost2k.wordpress.com/2025/05/31/do-you-love-the-people-you-are-injuring/ for more considerations on how loud music gets in many modern western churches, even those in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America as they copy Willow Creek, Brooklyn Tabernacle and Australia’s Hillsong.
My heart breaks for the pastors of churches who do not seem to remember Father will hold them to a higher standard than those of us in the benches (James 3:1). He will not hold them innocent when they injured people who were coming to worship, as they cater to the whims of cultural rock concerts rather than, as adults, control the volume to which their congregants are exposed.
I hear you C. A. This week’s series may surprise you as I am bringing in music that is contemporary, but exactly the opposite of your concerns.