“You gotta make your own kind of music,
                                     sing your own special song,

  Make your own kind of music, 
                                      even if no-body else sings along”

                                                                                Mama Cass

It’s relatively easy to find something from the shelf when it comes to accessing current worship material.  Whatever your preferred choice, be it from the Northern or Southern hemispheres, it’s all very accessible on You Tube or Spotify - the latest songs glistening and shining and ready to be reproduced in any given local setting.  Words and chords are all there, some songs you can even learn with the guitar, keyboard and bass parts.  It’s easy.

Problem is, this globalisation creates a culture of sameness where whatever is the criteria of “radio friendly” hip and new take precedent over lyrical content and innovation.  Surely, in this multi-faceted expression of God’s people here on earth, there is room for greater originality.  As the Coldplay sound gives way to  a style derived from  Mumford and Sons, with an X-Factor style stage set, and a homogenised global style seen as the norm, my plea is for us to raise the bar and dare to be different.  This will take courage and boldness on behalf of musicians and congregations if we are to find alternatives to emerge from the worshipping community.

It might be relatively easy to pull down something from the shelf for Sunday’s worship slot, but mining for something different can take a lot more time and attention.   It's more risky to write or lead others away from uniformity, but surely it’s more rewarding and ultimately God-honouring to help congregations and individuals find their own unique voice.