postModern Church Adapter

new from ikea: the postModern church adapter! with it those in postmodern churches can hear God in those traditional churches, and vice versa! Now the problem is solved.....

If only. People fight all the time over what "type of church" is better, and "God ordained." This problem has divided churches, destroyed churches, and grown churches. But the problem is that there is no problem, sort of. We try to make the problem about the church, when the problem is really us. You like traditional churches with hymns and organs and think its the only way God speaks to people? Great. You like postModern emergant type churches with loud, technical pieces of music with casual dress and tattoos and think that God "prefers" it this way? Awesome. both people here are being selfish and stupid.

who are we to think that we decide how God can speak to others? think about that, seriously, for a moment. i'll say it again: who are we to think that we decide how God can speak to others?

this mainly focuses on worship styles, as most of my examples will feature worship illustrations.
but here's my first point (and the only one I need.)

1)Worship isn't about you.
my pastor told me once, "if you can't worship God because of the type of music being played- it isn't God's fault, it isn't the worship leader's fault, it isn't the church's fault. it is your fault."
that hit me hard. I am working in a traditional church, but my worship style is very much that of a postmodern, technical sound. i was taken back. i had criticized hymn lovers for years, saying things like "there is no emotion in this, how can you really believe the words you are saying? do you even understand them?"

My grandfather is deeply devoted to hymns. he said once "Why do all these loud 'praise' choruses repeat so much? God only needs to hear it once. It probably annoys him!" For a while I was angry at him for saying that, wanting to correct him. But I was doing the same thing.
But to address this point- Yes, God enjoys hearing the same praise over and over. Look in Revelation 4, verse 8.
"And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (ESV)


The Sides

I don't like the dress code for many traditional churches. It urks me. Yes, we need to be reverent in our dress, but we shouldn't form a barrier between us and those who "obviously came in off the streets."

The view that anyting loud, containing drums, or anykind of bassline is a sin is absurd. And guess what- dancing- A-Ok. Trust me.
And the idea that the church is the people bothers me. Yes, the church is the people, but why doesn't that include the pastor? Youth pastor? Worship Leader? If one of those people does something wrong, radical, different- they face the fear of being let go. Why is the standard stay at a church around 4 years for a minister? Why do we have to form committee after committee with the power to let any position go at any point? Shouldn't the church being going through a journey together- congregation and ministerial staff?

Defending the traditional side: sometimes in the technical music we can get so carried away in turning music into a performance that we lose track of God. We get egos (i'm a worship leader- I can speak freely and honestly when I say that our egos play a part in us.) we bring out guitar solos, turn out the lights, and have a concert. yes- we need to play our best and perform with excellence- but for an audience of one, not one hundred, one thousand, or one million. one. The One. It's a thin line you walk with this type of music. One you don't walk so lightly on with traditional. Traditional is all about the congregation- the togetherness.

Also critiquing the emergant side: shock value. doing things like cussing and drinking on stage should be nowhere near a pastor and his sermon.that is not the place nor time to bring that stuff up. there is a church nearby where i am that is obsessed with shock value. i have heard it said from members of that church "My God kicks [explitive]." Well, dandy. Hallelujah. And while that is true- the way you worded it just made a nonbeliever that heard that say to themselves "what is the difference in them and me? They talk like me, dress like me. But they have to go to church every week. I don't." and go on living the life of a sinner because you wanted to seem like the world. You may have just been the reason a person is damned to hell. and for that- the blood is on your hands, and think carefully next time you want to say that.

now there are lots of things about this church I love, but shock value is not one of them, and arrogance is not one of them either. think and act responsibly, because you represent more than that clever name and slogan- you represent Christians everywhere- you represent me- you represent my Savior, and I will not let you sully His glorious name.

church isn't a magic act where you should start a point and make the audience gasp, then finish it and receive a glorious round of applause like you just escaped from an underwater tank in 2.5 seconds. we don't need david blaine preachers. we also don't need ben stein preachers. you know what i'm talking about- stands behind the pulpit and speaks with no voice inflexion what so ever. we need leaders.
we need people who are willing to hide behind the cross and take major risks for God.

Whatever we do, we need to be glorifying God. After all, isn't that what we were made for? We should be worshipping God in everything we do. Everything we do should point someone to God- not send them away, not make them question, not make them like church is irrelevant in this society. They should see God. The same God who parted the Red Sea; the same God who healed a leper, made the lame walk, made the blind see; the same God who came down here to die for us, so that we may, one day, see Him face to face and fall to our faces before Him with tears streaming down our face- trying to find a word- any word- that could describe how blessed and thankful we are.

Worship isn't about us. at all. The only part of us involved in worship is us sacrificing our needs and wants and laying them at His feet. So don't fight on what type of worship or church is "your style". Maybe try going to the opposite style for a while, so you can understand just how mighty our God is. praises never get old. "In The Garden" is just as powerful as "Soon" by Hillsong. "Amazing Grace" is just as powerful as "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)". It is all about the manner of your heart.

Note: don't take this as church bashing, in any form, because it isn't. This is a concern of where the church is and where it should be going. That's it.