All the above can be boiled down into a three-part artistic dilemma that has faced the church for centuries.

First, if art is beautiful, it has to be used whether it is effective or not. This is the idol of quality.

Second, if art is effective, it must be used, irrespective of quality. This is the idol of effectiveness.

Third, if art has worked well, don’t change it. This is the idol of stasis.

There is no church, large or small, rich or poor, ethically diverse or homogeneous, that will not face one, two or all three of these dilemmas.

But it usually works out that the high-culture/high-taste artists face the first idol: the church-growth/seeker-sensitivity leadership, the second; and the traditionalists, the third.

from Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense