We are not called to be conservative or progressive

In the circles in which I run, the label "conservative" keeps being applied to various churches and individuals.

Examples include:

"That is a good, conservative church."

"He is a good, conservative preacher."

"That school teaches good, biblical, conservative doctrine."

Others I have known relish in being labeled as progressive. Examples include:

"I am theologically conservative, but I am progressive where methods are concerned."

"We need more progressive approaches to ministry to reach people in this post-modern age."

I am confident that the men that I run with are good, God fearing men who want to see God's will accomplished. However, hearing the words "conservative" and "progressive" has gotten me to thinking.

God has not called us to be conservative, or progressive. He has called us to go and make disciples, to baptize those disciples, and to teach those disciples true doctrine. We are supposed to be doctrinally sound and not deviate from the Bible's teachings.

Still, it amazes me how some brethren insist on being conservative just for the sake of being conservative, or progressive just for the sake of being progressive. I remember holding a youth rally one time, where the "program" was a skit I put together. Following the "program" I was approached and told, "Y'all sure do things 'interestingly' at this church." (Apparently, youth rally "programs" are to be sermons preached by ordained ministers.)

Progressives can be just as annoying, though. I know of a couple of preachers who have caused problems in their churches by insisting on changing from hymns to praise choruses. One even insisted on adding a praise band to lead services. While it is preposterous to claim that only traditional hymns qualify as true worship, it is just as preposterous to claim that God is more pleased with praise choruses, because they are more "spiritual." If you can not worship God by singing "Near the Cross," "Amazing Grace," "Crown Him," "Praise Him, Praise Him," or "It is Well with My Soul," then you've got the problem, not the hymn singers. Conversely, if you think that "Lord I Lift Your Name on High," is nothing more than worldly rock & roll, then you are delusional as well.

The reason for this rant tonight is that I am tired of watching churches endure needless pain and conflict because a pastor thinks that God's calling on his life is to upset the apple cart at the church he has been called to, thinking that the addition of electric guitars and drums will magically reach people with the Gospel and cause the church to grow.

Conversely, I am tired of watching good churches and pastors be maligned because they use praise choruses or praise bands. God did not call you to program worship music, He called you to edify the saints for the ministry of the Gospel. Your obedience to that call will be what God judges you on in the end, not whether the worship songs came from a book or projection screen.