Worship "content" vs "context"

Here is an essay I wrote for my worship class.

If there is a prime misunderstanding that has acted as a catalyst to worship wars for centuries, it is the nature of "content" and "context" in the worship service. The content of worship is the message that is proclaimed within the elements. Orthodox, Biblical content should proclaim the Gospel and call for transformed lives. Thus, a "sermon" about how to best invest one's money, would not meet the criteria of orthodox, Biblical content.

The context relates to how that message is expressed. I have personally sat under the stars on a primitive island in Uganda, Africa and experienced amazingly true worship in a drastically different context from my home church. The only instrument used to accompany their voices was the drum. However, they sang in their native tongue about their salvation and the everlasting love of God, which is the same content that I offer in worship at home with a rockin' band. So, even though the experience was completely different from my context, it was just as worshipful as anything I've experienced because there was Biblical content.

An analogy to help understand this issue is the expression of love between a husband and wife. Fights often take place within a relationship based on differing "love languages." The husband may show love verbally, while the wife does so through gift giving. Unfortunately, they each assume that if the expression they relate to is not present, love must not be present. Likewise, church members who have spent their entire lives worshiping in a subdued, hymn-based setting struggle to believe that contemporary, charismatic worship may be just as true to the content they hold dear, and vice versa. Thus, while it is worthwhile to lovingly and open-mindedly discuss the methods used in worship, the most important element is the content. If the gospel and a call for transformed lives make up the content of worship, then style and methodology should be an area of freedom for worshipers.