Style ≠ Order.

Modern worship may be confusing the two.

In this conversation with Dr. Matthew Wilkinson — organist, Director of Music, and host of The Pursuit of Beauty — we explore why modern worship often confuses aesthetic preference with spiritual depth.

What happens when worship becomes a stage?

When transcendence is traded for emotional immediacy?

When beauty is reduced to branding?

Matthew’s journey from Pentecostal roots to Anglican liturgy opens a deeper question: Is beauty optional in Christian worship — or is it essential?

We discuss:

• The difference between style and order

• Why liturgy shapes the soul

• The limits of seeker-sensitive worship

• Beauty as one of the names of God

• Bach, chant, and the architecture of transcendence

• Why most contemporary worship music feels thin

• The role of confession, humility, and form

• How churches might recover depth without abandoning creativity

This is not an attack on contemporary worship.

It is a call to aim higher.

If the Church has inherited two thousand years of music, architecture, and liturgical wisdom — why are we so quick to flatten it?

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About Dr. Matthew Wilkinson

Matthew is Director of Music at St. Michael’s Anglican Church and host of The Pursuit of Beauty, a podcast exploring liturgy, aesthetics, and Christian formation.

His album The Pursuit of Beauty is available wherever music is streamed.

Website: https://matthewwilkinson.net/

Podcast: The Pursuit of Beauty @matthewwilkinsonmusic

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