Comments on: the rules of church. http://nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/ a journal of one Christ-following digerati wannabe. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:33:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Abby! http://nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-411 Abby! Sat, 17 Mar 2007 22:01:02 +0000 http://www.nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-411 You and I have both acted in plays before, so I am going to use a thespian analogy. In some places, a church service is like a play. Everyone has a character to play: pastors, ushers, sound techs, musicians, congregation members. Each character has its specific role which, over time and after many rehearsals, they are able to play perfectly. Now, if I walked onto the set of "South Pacific" on opening night, put on a costume, and walked on stage as the curtain was drawn...I would look incredibly out of place and have no clue what I was doing. I wouldn't know the lines, music, or cues. I would completely wreck the show for everyone. Fortunately, church wasn't mean to be a "play"...it has just become that over time. While tradition and order is fine and sometimes completely necessary, many churches have gotten into a rut of "perfection" that suits them. In reality, we have made church comfortable for ourselves. Those of us who frequent the church know what to expect, and feel stable in the environment. In my opinion, that's where the change Chet spoke of shows its importance. If we want non-Christians, those who aren't "in the know", to feel welcome in our buildings and our family...we have to somehow break out of tradition and open our minds to not performing our "weekly roles". Do we always have to have greeting time after praise and worship? Does the songlist always have to go from fast to slow? Do we always have to pray after the last worship song? Do we have to take up the offering when we sit down after greeting each other? Does their have to be an altar call every service? I don't think God only works and moves in times of structure. We have to be willing to break out of the box and LET HIM MOVE! You and I have both acted in plays before, so I am going to use a thespian analogy.

In some places, a church service is like a play. Everyone has a character to play: pastors, ushers, sound techs, musicians, congregation members. Each character has its specific role which, over time and after many rehearsals, they are able to play perfectly.

Now, if I walked onto the set of “South Pacific” on opening night, put on a costume, and walked on stage as the curtain was drawn…I would look incredibly out of place and have no clue what I was doing. I wouldn’t know the lines, music, or cues. I would completely wreck the show for everyone.

Fortunately, church wasn’t mean to be a “play”…it has just become that over time. While tradition and order is fine and sometimes completely necessary, many churches have gotten into a rut of “perfection” that suits them. In reality, we have made church comfortable for ourselves. Those of us who frequent the church know what to expect, and feel stable in the environment.

In my opinion, that’s where the change Chet spoke of shows its importance. If we want non-Christians, those who aren’t “in the know”, to feel welcome in our buildings and our family…we have to somehow break out of tradition and open our minds to not performing our “weekly roles”.

Do we always have to have greeting time after praise and worship? Does the songlist always have to go from fast to slow? Do we always have to pray after the last worship song? Do we have to take up the offering when we sit down after greeting each other? Does their have to be an altar call every service?

I don’t think God only works and moves in times of structure. We have to be willing to break out of the box and LET HIM MOVE!

]]> By: nathan http://nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-410 nathan Fri, 16 Mar 2007 19:20:25 +0000 http://www.nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-410 arzell, good stuff! i like it! arzell,
good stuff! i like it!

]]> By: arzell http://nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-409 arzell Fri, 16 Mar 2007 18:18:20 +0000 http://www.nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-409 I recently visited a Catholic church and was very nervous and out of place for not knowing the rules and rituals. Though they seemed like very nice people when I later talked to them, I was very happy to leave. I began to wonder if my church was like that to people who have no idea of or have never been to church. Probably. To an extent. We Americans think like Americans. We grew up in a country where Christianity and Church was a lifestyle whether it was one's personal faith or not. But as the generations progress we are losing this norm. Fewer people know anything about church and Christianity. We can no longer expect visitors to our churches to know what to do or how to behave. The same is true of our "Christian" language, using words without a common understanding of definition. It needs to change. WE need to change. I recently visited a Catholic church and was very nervous and out of place for not knowing the rules and rituals. Though they seemed like very nice people when I later talked to them, I was very happy to leave. I began to wonder if my church was like that to people who have no idea of or have never been to church. Probably. To an extent.

We Americans think like Americans. We grew up in a country where Christianity and Church was a lifestyle whether it was one’s personal faith or not. But as the generations progress we are losing this norm. Fewer people know anything about church and Christianity. We can no longer expect visitors to our churches to know what to do or how to behave. The same is true of our “Christian” language, using words without a common understanding of definition. It needs to change. WE need to change.

]]> By: Todd Helmkamp http://nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-408 Todd Helmkamp Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:43:26 +0000 http://www.nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-408 Oh, I knew it was Perry's point. My rhetoric was intended to encourage the reader to think about the underlying issue of why a church has rules to begin with. Thanks for the clarification, though. :) Oh, I knew it was Perry’s point. My rhetoric was intended to encourage the reader to think about the underlying issue of why a church has rules to begin with. Thanks for the clarification, though. :)

]]> By: nathan http://nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-407 nathan Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:47:06 +0000 http://www.nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-407 Todd, Just to clarify, that is Perry's point. I can see how that wasn't obvious now that i re-read. Todd,
Just to clarify, that is Perry’s point. I can see how that wasn’t obvious now that i re-read.

]]> By: Todd Helmkamp http://nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-405 Todd Helmkamp Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:17:46 +0000 http://www.nathandiehl.com/2007/03/16/the-rules-of-church/#comment-405 Let me answer this with another question: why in the world is church a place of rules? Shouldn't it be a place of freedom? Let me answer this with another question: why in the world is church a place of rules? Shouldn’t it be a place of freedom?

]]>