“The reason I am posting this, is because there is a youth pastor on television near-constantly harping on what he believes to be God’s type or style of music and decrying those styles (that he apparently doesn’t agree with) as being worldly.”
One of the reasons I don’t go to church any more, “if you don’t agree with me you are going to hell”. Reminds me of my grandmother. If you are worshiping God in a way that enhances your relationship and understanding, you are doing it right. The rules put in place by man have little relationship to your standing with God. I left several churches because the pastor failed in his duty to be a guide and instead became “the law”. Petty dictators are petty dictators no matter what authority they claim.
The other thing I object to is the churches that judge your spirituality based on how you conform to their expectations.
Do you not raise your hands? How cold and dead.
Do you look like you're having a seizure? Look how free they are in expressing their worship, how *undignified* they are. WOW! What a spiritual person they are!
I was in a church where the pastor actually used someone who was *worshiping* like that as an example in front of the whole congregation on a Sunday morning, of how much this guy loved the Lord, how someone who loved the Lord should be worshiping and how he wished more people could be that passionate about it.
Don't judge me if I raise my hands. Don't judge me if I don't.
Don't judge me if I speak in tongues. Don't judge me if I don't.
Don't decide for me how you think God should be working in my life and judge me when it doesn't happen the way you think it should. I've had THAT happen too often as well.