Peter

Agreed, but even here I fear we have lost some of the power in the commemorative meal by professionalising it. In the Anglican and Catholic churches, only ordained clergy can conduct a mass. That seems to me a long way from the original commandment. If we are concerned that our theology and liturgy should align – and on this I think we agree – what theological message does that imply?

Jesus made it clear to the Samaratin woman that a time had come where God required worship to be of the Spirit and Truth.

'But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.'

It seems clear to me that the style or personal preference of musical style is quite irrelevant. Wesley would take pub tunes and put Christian lyrics to them. Music itself is not sacred. The new agers feel their earth worshipping music is sacred. It is clean hearts filled with the Holy Spirit and faith towards Jesus Christ that is pleasing to God. The rest is secondary

These two references describe the limitations of the kind of exoteric self-serving religiosity that Sells promotes.
http://www.dabase.org/culturally_prescribed.htm
http://global.adidam.org/books/religion-reality/2

Runner "music itself is not sacred" I am sure a vast majority of people would be uplifted by music, on your terms "not a God's gift" isn' t everything God's gift, whether music or some man preaching his sermon for the believers, believe in what you personally believe in and leave it at that.

Matthew 6:6 -- Jesus speaking -- "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

So, Peter, all this church stuff would appear to be not merely unnecessary, but actually forbidden by the person you claim to be the founder of your religion. As a good Christian (you, not me), I expect you to drop it forthwith.

But I do like "multiple denominations all with their idiosyncratic styles of worship". What a nice way to say "hundreds of bizarre cults, all doing their best to discredit and occasionally kill each other".

" Pope Benedict XVI was eager to emphasise that music and liturgy must be of a certain kind "

And how close is that approved kind of worship to middle eastern wailing, the kind of worship that earned King David the title "Sweet Psalmist of Israel"?