Recently, someone commented on the post Cultural Shifts within the American Church that resonated with some things I've been pondering. This person said,
"I've experienced a lot of unnecessary stuff (in church),
I think, complications to what
God's good plan for
His people is. "
Great thought... Unfortunately, I'm imagining -- not a great experience.
"Unnecessary Stuff..." I have no idea what all is packed in those words for this particular person. But it did get my wheels turning... Unnecessary Stuff that "we" hold on to, adhere to, and even prescribe to others that "hinders" more than "helps."
Reminds me of the following video clip...
Have you ever asked the question,
- What elements of my Christianity are a byproduct of my culture, but not necessarily a biblical prerequisites?
- What is essential to being someone who "follows Christ"?
- What constitutes "having church"?
- Does church have to be on Sunday to be a church?
- Does there have to be an extended time of worship/music/singing to qualify as a church service?
- Does the singing that does that worship/music/singing have to take place all at one time, during the beginning of the service?
- Is the "real" purpose of "worship" to "prepare our hearts for the Word," as it has often been said?
- Does there have to be a "sermon" for it to be a real service? (Does it have to happen on the back-half)
How 'bout another clip...?
8 comments:
Jerrell, I took this quote from the Insanely Grateful entry on Arroz con Pollo to help explain what I am looking for. "...church can be a trip sometimes, but it can be so awesome when real people really love God and really love one another. That's what we have at Calvary, and for that I am insanely grateful. If loving these people is wrong, then I don't want to be right!"
This, Pastor Jerrell, is the church experience that I am currently looking for. This (whatever you would call it) that oozed out of Pastor Edgar after his leadership dialogue is what I want for myself "in church" with whomever God places me with. Does that make sense?
For me church has been a lot of a trip, instead. I don't think it's been normal, I don't think it's been healthy, I think it's been complications to what God's good plan for me is.
You said it best, "Unnecessary Stuff that "we" hold on to, adhere to, and even prescribe to others that "hinders" more than "helps." There is so much there.
I feel like I've had some self-proclaimed doctors prescribe me medicine that caused side effects and complications. I think that I have experienced a developmental nightmare, somewhere in the nightmare the simplicity of living a happy Christian life eluded me. More later....
Sounds like you - the whole community/interaction/engaging-challenging conversations-relationships hold high value to you... And rightly so... When I survey key developmental components to my walk with God - I would have to say that type of interaction was very significant... There have been other things for sure... but that one is up there very high... Without these type of interactions/relationship - "everything else" doesn't seem to make as much sense...
...From the beginning - God created humanity to live in community.
...And yet as you said well... often all the "things that must be done" can sometimes choke out the vitality and life-flow of what the "serving" is intended to help facilitate. I can see where you coming from on the comments posted to "cultural shifts in America."
...I would love to see... as you expressed - the reality of serving, even doing "tasks - that must be done" yet in the context of "community" where there's interaction, fun, growth and progress...
...Ideally, Relationships and Personal Growth and Spiritual Transformation will all synergistically/organically happen while serving together...
...Yet.. As you mentioned (doesn't always), and requires much intentionality. (Again: I think you might find "Blue Like Jazz" and "Velvet Elvis" a refreshing perspective for your journey...
ps... Thanks for the continued conversation... It's always thought-provoking... and appreciated.
Ok. It's cool you understand where I'm coming from. Although Reading Velvet Elvis and Blue Like Jazz is something I want to and probably should do, it will take me forever b/c I am a slow reader and I'm already reading a few good developmental books that I can't seem to finish. Your responses to my thoughts are helping me though.
I have more.
Even though interaction is imporatant to me, I don't often do it right. There's a Mary or a Martha I guess? Like Martha I am motivated to serve and worry about a lack of support, like Mary I want to connect.
My background involves me looking for a church that was doing something I thought was cool to share the gospel, in some way I hadn't done/seen it before, something I dreamed about even. I wanted to be a part of that and serve the mission. I wasn't looking for a family, and not looking to operate within a system/body, but I thought I could get connected.
Our weekly service is staged, theatre style with video, drama, special lighting etc. We also have a number of staged productions, a cool way of sharing the gospel, but is all of the staging necessary? It's a great way to serve masses, but doesn't serve to connect people to other people in the church? Is that the only way weekly Sunday church can be done?
Churches can operate like restaurants. People come in, they are greeted and seated and fed the soup of the day. They are waited on to a degree. It is a service-oriented culture, with not a lot of input on the part of the customer. The service of the servants is evaluated, ridiculed and criticized. Servants can then be encouraged to implement the approach of a more successful, well-known or accomplished restaurant. Did the servant ever really get to know the customer? Did the customer get to know the servant or just the service. Jesus heart is here somehow, it's got to be.
I feel that instead a connective culture would be more desirable, in some way we would serve eachother, get closer really see people and appreciate people for being themselves than merely appreciating good service or cool ministry.
You said, "The list could go on and on... I'm not saying any of the above listed things necessary fall under the category of "Unnecessary Stuff." Yet,... what shape they take may in some ways impose "unnecessary" elements upon us..."
What I said about the restaurant service style of "having church" reminds me of a good movie I just saw called Ratatoullie. You should see it!
Anonymous,
As always… nicely stated… You raised a number of interesting observations, insights and questions... I'm writing a new post... that will encapsulate these thoughts in an ongoing manner... Again...thanks for your engagement in the conversation...
...I am curious as to what present "development" books are you currently reading...
I hear you on the "slow reader" thing -- me too. Though your a slow reading the Blue Like Jazz is a super quick read with lots of stories... :-)
I've seen several clips from the movie Rat.... Looks fun -- Think it'd be good four my 4 1/2 year-old son as well...?
I've seen several clips from the movie Rat.... Looks fun -- Think it'd be good four my 4 1/2 year-old son as well...?
I'll tell what books I'm reading after I share with you my experiences with mentors.
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