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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?
—
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
—
If you find these conversations meaningful:
• Subscribe to the channel
• Leave a review on your podcast platform
• Follow Yours Truly on Substack
• Consider becoming a YouTube Channel Member
All links below.
—
Yours Truly is a place we go to think out loud
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU5SNBfTo4umhjYz6M0Jsmg/join
follow me on X: https://twitter.com/chrbaxter_yt
https://substack.com/@christianbaxteryt
By chrbaxterytStyle ≠ 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?
—
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
—
If you find these conversations meaningful:
• Subscribe to the channel
• Leave a review on your podcast platform
• Follow Yours Truly on Substack
• Consider becoming a YouTube Channel Member
All links below.
—
Yours Truly is a place we go to think out loud
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU5SNBfTo4umhjYz6M0Jsmg/join
follow me on X: https://twitter.com/chrbaxter_yt
https://substack.com/@christianbaxteryt