Which style of music pleases God the most? This basic question has generated innumerable different answers from sincere Christians.

In the first 800 years after Christ, most worship music was simply unison melody. One day someone added a second part, and harmony invaded the church, despite staunch opposition. Soon there were quarrels over which musical intervals were appropriate.

Later, the introduction of various instruments caused great controversy—even the organ which some early Puritans called “the devil’s bagpipe.” To this day, there are countless conflicts over lyrical content and the use of musical styles that originate outside the church.

A 1999 article in Christianity Today was titled “The Triumph of Praise Songs: How Guitars Beat Out the Organ in the Worship Wars.” The author writes, “Conflicts over worship in general and music in particular have erupted in churches of every denomination… The contemporary proliferation of different worship and music styles may well be the next century’s test of our commitment to Christian unity.”

from Worship Matters, 2003