Ever been to worship at a church that was so folksy and “contemporary” that it felt more like a local service club meeting than a service of worship to God?

Sometimes churches want to put their message within reach of everyone who comes into their gatherings. This produces a possible conflict, however. Worship that is too common and familiar can become vulgar or disrespectful.

It is refreshing to see a new generation of people arising who see value in the great ideas, hymns, and practices of the past. This is not to say that they want to blindly imitate their parent’s generation. Rather, they are using the best of the past to inform the present.

This may sound like a celebration for the return of the past. It is not. Instead, it is a celebration that the future promises to be a thoughtful reuse of past in new and reverent ways. It is going to be interesting and thrilling to see what new life is breathed into ancient practices to give them a contemporary application.