Interesting Thought #1: Okay, so I was at the community college yesterday to teach a class and this young woman who I met several weeks ago stopped me and asked me my name. She is a music major and, though we have talked a couple of times, would have no reason to remember my name since I do not have her in class. She said she was talking to a friend the day before who was asking about all the music instructors and she asked about me, and this student's comment was, "You mean the one who sounds like a preacher?" And that was me, the one who sounds like a preacher.
I have never thought of myself as a preacher or even as a person who sounds like one, but I guess I cannot make that judgment for myself. The person who made this comment was very kind, and is starting a gospel choir so she is a believer (and dresses like one, if you get my drift), but it made we wonder about how I come across to other people. I guess this stripping away of the churchiness is a harder thing than I had thought. I guess it is a work in progress. But, is it a bad thing for a fellow believer to think that I act like a preacher? Is it worse for a non-believer to think this about me? I know that people treat you different when they think you are a minister, but I have several students now who talk to me in a way that is very "truthful" and not censored through a "preacher" mentality, so maybe it is just a fluke.
Interesting Thought #2: I saw this news segment on CNN last night about this COGIC church in Florida that is using L. Ron Hubbard's materials for drug counseling and for other studies in their church. Okay, it concerns me when members of a large Pentecostal denomination see no problem with promoting Scientology. The pastor of this church, when asked whether or not there were any things in Hubbard's writings that went against Scriptural teachings, he agreed that there some discrepancies, but also some good things to glean. Huh? I would not be as concerned, but the report said there were several COGIC churches that were doing this. It looked like they were having a small group Bible study, but they were reading L. Ron Hubbard. Scary? Or am I not being open-minded enough?
Interesting Thought #3: Is Church too girly? There has been a lot of discussion on this topic lately. I would often mention the feminine style of recent worship music. There was this song back several years ago that we would sing in chapel "Let me know the kisses of your mouth" or something to that effect that I used as an example of overly-feminine leanings in worship music. Recently, I saw a news report about this very subject and a book that has been written about how to make your church more manly, or more precisely to make your church a place where men would want to go. What do you think?
And one last thing: This is one for all of you who have multiple services on a Sunday morning. I have three services on Sunday mornings and I am usually at church before 6:30 a. m. so by the time I am getting to the third service, I have been at church forever it seems. How do you keep any energy at all for multiple, and mostly identical services? Now, granted, our middle service is different, but the other two are basically the same. My wife caught me in a weaker moment staring off into oblivion and chewing on my fingers a couple of weeks ago, and I began to realize how difficult it is to appear interested when I have been there and done that already. I know lots of folks do this, and I try to laugh at the same jokes, etc., but it is difficult. How do you make this work? I sometimes find it very difficult to make Sunday a worship experience for myself rather than just work. So add this into the mix and you see the problem.
Life is fun.
UPDATE & NDY GIG
12 years ago
6 comments:
We have 2 services on Sunday mornings. They've asked me to sing in both services with the praise team, which used to be alot easier - I would sing and attend the first service and Colton would go to children's church. Our church makes biscuits and gravy on Sundays and the proceeds go to certain mission funds. We would go eat breakfast in between services (about 20 mins) and then I would sing for the second service and go home.
The new problem is that we no longer have children's church during the first service. Colton wants to stay for children's church, so we had to come up with a solution (I don't like sitting through the same service twice either). So I sing for the first service, we go out and eat breakfast together during the first service, and then I sing for and attend the second service and Colton gets to go to children's church.
And then Colton found the puppets ministry. When do they practice? Sunday after church until 3. I feel your "pain".
Ok... 2 things...
1. It is OK (technically) to sound like a preacher. ...though it isn't my favorite compliment (by a long shot). I am a product of my journey. The more important thing is not how you sound but what comes out of your mouth. I'd love to hear a few preacher sounding folks that have something loving, transformative, and relevant to say... no matter how they "sound".
2. Here is a little trick to being engaged with the services:
First... never pay attention at the first service. That way you can hear it for the first time later. Next, listen carefully to the middle service since the contemporary is almost always different than the first service. Then, pay attention in the third service because you never really paid attention in the first service to begin with. Oh, and eat a good snack between services to keep the blood sugar up.
EB
I think "the answer to all your problems is in this bittle lottle." That's right, whiskey shots! Think about it: between classes, while watching CNN, between services (it will take the edge off and, if you do it right, you won't remember the other two services by the time you hit the third)... oh, and it will certainly man up church for you. Jon's church in San Diego holds regular men's poker nights complete with beer and cigars. Their primary target is men between the ages of 25 and 40. They run between three and four thousand in seven identical weekend services.
I had a couple of shots before church the other day. I pronounced the blessing, "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and 'Spook'!"
Just kidding.
Don't forget, Jesus will ask the Father to send the "parakeet" to help you.
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