The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church has remained quite traditional in its approach to music and the arts. Recent changes include the recovery of psalm-singing and, in some churches on particular occasions, the use of choruses. Little use is made of the arts.
Winds of worship change are blowing in the Wesleyan Church, but not always in the same direction. Different as they may seem, the trends toward celebrative worship on the one hand and a more liturgical framework on the other are both encouraging signs of life in corporate worship, and both emphasize music and the arts as key elements in renewal.
The Vineyard assemblies are marked by contemporary musical forms in a praise-and-worship style. After a period of development along these lines, some Vineyards are rediscovering the hymns and songs of the historic church. Of the other arts in worship, the Vineyards are making a unique contribution to dance in worship, in the form of free and spontaneous dance rather than formal liturgical dance. Vineyard leadership must “release” dancers to perform their ministry, thereby screening out dance that is inappropriate for worship.
At the heart of United Methodist worship is music. Music is the language of the congregation, and it is widely understood that the function of music in worship is to help the congregation encounter God. Whether a United Methodist Church is “high church,” “low church,” or somewhere between the two, the philosophy of the function of music rarely deviates. Music is the human expression by which we are joined one to another and by which we claim our understanding of God and our relationship to God. Music is the vehicle, the action, of the work of the people.
The United Church of Christ was founded in 1957 by the joining of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Church. These two denominations were likewise the result of mergers in the 1930s of the Evangelical Synod with the Reformed Church, and of the Congregational Church with the Christian Church. The present United Church of Christ includes German-rooted Evangelical and Reformed churches, Puritan Reformation-based Congregationalism, and the free-thinking spirit of the southern Christian Church.
Southern Baptists use a wide range of music from the rich tradition of ancient hymnody to the praise chorus tradition. There is an equally wide range in the use of the arts, from relatively unadorned worship services to services that incorporate banners, dance, and drama frequently.
The Salvation Army, whose long-time commitment to music is particularly well-known given the visibility of its performers, is not restricting itself to its traditional musical repertoire. Rather, for the past ten years, it has been introducing new music in its services and its public appearances, including nearly every style of contemporary music.
Before Vatican II, the rubrics (ceremonial directions) for Roman Catholic rituals were very specific. Documents clearly indicated what was permissible in liturgy and clearly separated the sacred from the secular. During the period when Vatican II council documents were emerging (1963–1975), the nature of liturgical music and visual elements reflected assumptions of a new celebrative spirit. Rubrics were put aside, some of them forever (e.g., the ruling that women could play no role in the ritual in the sanctuary). The influence of life, rather than law, laid the groundwork for renewal.
The churches of the Reformed Episcopal Church stress their connection with the ancient church, fostering psalm-singing and hymns that clearly reflect great historical doctrinal truths. In addition, there is a dependence on music associated with the earliest years of the Anglican churches of the Reformation. More modern musical styles and even dance, however, are finding their way into the practice of Reformed Episcopal worship.
The RCA originally sang from the Genevan Psalter but in subsequent years adopted music and hymn resources from other denominations. More recently it has published its own hymnbook and musical resources. However, some churches have adopted the praise-and-worship songs and have abandoned the hymnal.