It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that people have very strong opinions about worship. Few things in life are as personal as how we worship. [So it] shouldn't surprise anyone that where opinions are strong, conflict is close. In fact, you only have to go four chapters into the Bible before you come upon the first worship war.
The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. - Genesis 4:4-5 (NIV)
I find it really encouraging that this story is in the Bible, because that says to me that God knew this circumstance was not going to be unique. He knew this wasn't the last time terrible things would be done by people who were really seeking to worship him. So if you are finding yourself involved in or even surrounded by these worship wars, I hope you can draw encouragement from the fact that you aren't alone. Unfortunately, while misery loves company, I find it discouraging that these conflicts happen with such frequency.
Fortunately, the Bible has a good bit to say about conflict. The word shows up a half dozen time in Proverbs alone. I don't think it's a coincidence; I think God expected we would have conflict within the church. I don't think it's a stretch to say that how we treat each other when we have disagreements is one of the most important ways we can demonstrate to the world what it means to be a Christ follower:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35 (NIV)
That seems pretty clear to me. If you want to show the world what it means to be a disciple of Christ, love one another—that's it. “By this [loving one another] everyone will know…. ” Honestly, I think this is one of the reasons people far from Christ are often wary of Christians, because they see how we treat each other. Even people who aren't Christians know how we treat each other. It's pretty common for us to be accused of shooting our wounded, and if we can't even love other Christians how could we possibly love the people who are far from Christ? Even if we did, why would they trust what we have to say about our Creator? Based on how we treat each other we are not credible witnesses.
If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. - Matthew 5:47 (MSG)
What if we, as Christians, were able to demonstrate love through conflicts like this? I think it would be so countercultural that it couldn't help but be noticed. How great would it be if Christians the world over were known more for their capacity to love than their ability to judge people? I'll end this with a great verse that sums it all up:
Be devoted to one another in love. - Romans 12:10 (NIV)