“Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” (Galatians 2:1–10)

Do you think Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles looked like the ministries of Peter and John among the Jews? Highly unlikely. Nor did they have to be the same. What was the same was Word and Sacraments, Law and Gospel, preaching the whole counsel of God, not picking and choosing what suits you.

God’s Word is filled with calls to worship and praise Him for who He is and what He has done. But did you know that a style of worship is not dictated in Scripture? The list of instruments we are told to use in praising God in His Word is vast, but no where in there can I find mention of a pipe organ. Proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and King is a responsibility. But using a pulpit or a style of preaching is never mandated.

We all have our comfort zones, our preferences. That is fine. But that does not mean that other worship styles or songs or attire are wrong. And this is not a novel thought on my part. Lutherans wrote about and affirmed this a long time ago.

VII. [The Church]

¹ It is also taught among us that one holy Christian church will be and remain forever. This is the assembly of all believers among whom the Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel.

² For it is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian church that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word.

³ It is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian church that ceremonies, instituted by men, should be observed uniformly in all places.

⁴ It is as Paul says in Eph. 4:4, 5, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

(Augsburg Confession, Article VII, Tappert, T. G. (Ed.). (1959). The Book of Concord)

Did you catch that? “It is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian church that ceremonies, instituted by men, should be observed uniformly in all places.”  We can be united in Christ even if we don’t all do things the same way. Rather than being critical of each other, let’s focus on the unity we have in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.