I have no doubt that many of the people who press for particular styles of music in worship are motivated by a desire to help us be more culturally relevant in the liturgical life of the church. They believe our musical expressions in worship needs to sound more like the mass-market music that pervades our aural landscape according to that perspective. Generally, their goal is to help us connect with what they perceive to be contemporary culture.

But pressure on the music selection process can come from quite a different direction. It may also come from those who are seeking liturgical expression that is aesthetically or artistically more substantive. This may be motivated by the belief that liturgical music can be deemed worthy of the worship of God only by virtue of its aesthetic or artistic value.

Yet others may approach us with conservationist attitudes, seeing worship as something that should remain static, utterly distinct from contemporary culture, especially in its musical expression. All of these views are based on rationales that make sense in some way. They fail, however, to consider the broader and deeper foundation that theological reflection may provide.

from “Worshipful Singing: The Roles of Choral Music in Worship”