I am concerned indeed about the youth. They don't respect anything which isn't theirs. But our church has been stagnant for a while and people admit their are wanting to be status quo with their "contemporary" services.
One of the best examples is worship services. The minister of music at our church is younger than ANY of the 36-member choir members at church. I, as a 28-year old single man, do not see any teens for the most part in our 11 AM service, because none of them like to sing hymns. They prefer to be entertained by a rock feel. There are no members of the choir younger than myself, and I'm still a rookie in the choir, having received classical vocal training at 26 and irking some choir members .
While I'm at home comfortable with the great hymns of the 16th, 17th, and 18th century, there are few singers in our church who feel at home with these hymns. Most would rather rock at the early service with the amplified instruments and even voices, and I have learned one reason I do not have the solo opportunity at church is because my voice is classically trained, and most singers at our church aren't.
Today's generation is full on using soundtracks instead of live instruments, beat over message, and pop culture over the things which matter most.
And the culture is showing it. The choir, using canned music for a musical, couldn't draw 250 people to our Easter musical, and was relegated to a background position so dancers can dominate the stage during our performance. Last Christmas we were bounced from the programme to the shock of the choir members. We were set on singing "When Love Came Down" (I was eagerly anticipating it for weeks) when we were told we had been pulled for 30 puppets lip-synching to the song and dancers.
It seems in today's church, dancers, hip-hop artists, and other things are replacing choirs for the arts, and I wonder what will happen when our generation retires. How can you wonder when kids in tie-dye tee-shirts and jeans dancing to "Spirit in the Sky" and kids imitating performances on stage by lip-synching and faking instruments playing while a canned piece plays has more appeal than hearing a pianist or organist playing a song for the choir such as "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name"?
Sometimes I wonder about what's happening in our churches.
Your entire post is simply about a clash of cultures. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity nor the Word of God.
The Amish picked a particular technological timeslice of human history and decided that is where we should live. Some think we should take a particular timeslice of musical culture and that is where the church should exist.
Everyone here must be aware that music is the most contentious issue in the church.
Some of my favorite songs are actually in Latin, written in the 1500-1600's, and are just out and out amazing.
Just to share an experience - my college choir gave a concert at Belmont Abbey college in Charlotte, NC. We sang a few hymns in the chapel, and that was probably the most awesome concert I have ever been in. It even beat out the chance we got to sing the National Anthem at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.
I get chills thinking about it still, the way our voices sounded in that holy place. We belonged there that day, and I believe for that time, centuries ago and that day, there was no better place to sing praises.
But by the same token, I remember seeing Creed live at a concert, before they became popular. Seeing other people rejoicing at the message they carried was also amazing. I was high on that the rest of the night.
My point is, I think the Good News can be spread many different ways. With my classical music training, I can fully appreciate the old hymns as you do. BUT - I am also a huge rock-n-roll fan as well, and can enjoy the message in another form as well. I think if the Lord moves you, then He moves you, whether it's in the form of music, literature, the birth of a child, or a sunset.
Awakenings can take place anywhere, and in any situation.
LOL but I have digressed from what you were saying... I just get caught up sometimes in the Awe of it all.