The Changing World of Church Music, by Greg Scheer

Post-modern/emerging worship
At the end of the 20th century, a massive cultural shift known as post-modernism took root. Post-modernity stands in opposition to modernity, the age of reason and science that ruled for the previous two centuries. Many church leaders were initially suspicious of the more relativistic tendencies of secular post-modernism, but most now realize that Post-Modernism is here to stay and that we must become fluent in this new cultural language. The church's first response to post-modern culture is what has been dubbed the "emerging" or "emergent" worship movement. No emerging church wants to be pigeonholed, but they tend to focus on community, participation, story, and experimentation. But post-modern or emerging worship is better viewed as a roof under which a host of other worship movements can be found.

Liturgical and historical renewal
Whereas the contemporary worship movement of the last 30 years sought renewal by breaking with the past, new worship movements seek renewal through traditional forms of worship. But they aren't interested in the traditions of 1950s America. They go back to monastic traditions, Celtic Christianity, Anglican liturgy, and ancient hymns. Why this interest in older forms of worship? Beyond the mystique antiquity offers, it could be that younger generations are attracted to the stability of ancient voices in an increasingly disjointed world. But the greatest attraction is the quality of these time-sifted materials. Once you've experienced the riches of the liturgical calendar, The Book of Common Prayer, or Latin hymnody, it's hard to return to "business as usual" contemporary worship. Of course, these ancient worship elements are reinterpreted for today's context: icons are projected from computers, new tunes are written for old texts, and liturgy is spoken over techno beats. Some of these combinations would make the church fathers turn over in their ossuaries, but this mix-and-match aesthetic fits post-modern sensibilities and at the very least introduces historic worship to today's church.

Charismatic openness
The Pentecostal church is the fastest growing church in the world. Much of that growth is in Africa and Latin America, but charismatic worship has also captured the imagination of the North American church. Perhaps it is the post-modern desire for experience and emotional engagement that leads them to embrace charismatic worship. True, most churches wouldn't define themselves as Pentecostal or Charismatic, but there is an openness in worship that didn't exist even 10 years ago. In years past, someone raising their hands in a mainline church's worship service would have been escorted from his or her pew. Today, one regularly sees worshipers of all denominations engaging their whole beings in praise, and Christians of all stripes explore the gifts of the Spirit corporately and individually.