Question: I am having trouble distinguishing all the hype of this so-called contemporary music with its sensuous rhythms and worldly sounding beats to attract the younger generation and the hymns, praises and worship songs that my (45-50) age bracket always sang in church growing up. If we are to be separate from the world, how do we reconcile this new age hype with old time holiness in order to evangelize our younger generation?

Let's look at the assumptions I see in your question.

1. Hype and holiness cannot go together.
2. Some contemporary music is worldly and sensuous while other music is holy.
3. The music you are accustomed to is better than the more recent variety.
4. Separation from the world includes rejecting new music forms.
5. Evangelizing our younger generation, an important objective, is made difficult by rejecting or censoring their cultural expressions.

I think the critical issue for you and for us is: how do we make holiness attractive to the younger generation without surrendering to a culture contrary to holiness?

Holiness can be proclaimed from the standpoint of separation from selfishness and ungodliness. An accompanying method focuses on the benefits of a close relationship with God and His blessings upon right living. A virtuous character (godliness) can be held up as God's wish for us and the best way of conducting our lives. The attractiveness of holiness needs to be offered as a vital and viable option to our culture's message. We need some excellent 'hypers' of holiness.

While contemporary musical sounds carry the message of sin and selfishness, the rhythms and styles can be commandeered for the Gospel. Now my assumption is that styles of music are not sinful or satanic in themselves. The devil owns no chord progression or rhythmic beat. Otherwise the four part harmony of hymns, once sung in taverns, could not have ministered to you. Centuries later we still tend to attach the morality of music to its origin or to the artist whose lifestyle we resist.

Music is the language of the culture. Language itself is amoral; language can damn or bless. We are wise to use the language of the culture to express the Gospel. The language of the culture communicates with the culture. The Gospel must be expressed in ways contemporary people are prepared to hear and to understand.

By the way, I am older than you are and I enjoy most of the contemporary music as well as the 'dance music' of the Big Band era (a real no-no at one time).