Not that many years ago a fellow named Bill Gothard had arguments about "pop" worship music and "hard rock" in general laid out in technical music terms. I guess I need to put Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns on my reading list. Does it have a sequel, Why Johnny Can't Sing At All?
About the order of service: It has been changed and is still changing, even in conservative churches. The altar is now a table and we are free to stand behind it. It is no longer a representation of the ark of the covenant with the Law inside, covered by the Mercy Seat, which is the throne of Christ and sprinkled by His precious blood, attended by mighty angels. We no longer fear it, because we no longer fear God.
The service is no longer always the high and holy service of the Liturgy where we receive the Word and then the body and blood of Christ; it is frequently exchanged with Matins, the 3 AM or sunrise service: we have forgotten that one of the primary purposes of Matins is to prepare the heart for Liturgy. It is one thing to move Matins to 9 AM on Sunday. It is quite another to use it as an alternative Liturgy.
The adoption of the Fisherman's Mass or double service system took place when I was a boy. Nobody thought that it would do any harm. It was easier and cheaper way for a church to grow than needing to build a larger building or plant a whole new church. The outcome is that churches have not grown. The original idea was to be divided and grow larger, not to have two mostly empty rooms. The congregation is smaller, even though divided, really two smaller, shrinking churches with one building, one pastor, and an overworked choir.
The meaning and function of Matins is totally lost. Praying the Hours? Nobody even knows what I'm talking about. The usual response is a shrug of the shoulders, followed by, "We're not Orthodox." Unfortunately, this is true, "We're not Orthodox." What has happened in the hearts of many is an attendant loss of the awe and importance of worship. It doesn't matter when I go to church as long as I can get to my paper and the football game, or get an earlier tee time. Little-by-little our entertainments become our real god and religion. Little-by-little we don't care anymore.
By the way, where did the regular use of the Vespers service go?
Many used to read the entire book of Psalms through every week. Now we're content with three Psalms a day. How can anyone hunger and thirst for God and his righteousness on a starvation diet of three Psalms a day? Read Psalm 119 through in a single setting? Are you kidding me? That's way too long: let's take three days or a week to read it through. I assure you that Psalm 119 cannot be understood if it is not read through on a regular basis.
Nothing has changed in the order of service? I assure you that everything has changed, including the hearts of the faithful. Over sixty-years later (circa 1950) we are starting to awaken to the question, "Something is wrong, I wonder what it is?"
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