Disorder In The Church

We recently attended a Christmas worship event at a large community church. All I could take of it was about ten to fifteen minutes. While there was a worship leader directing the large congregation in songs, the band was playing so loud that you could not hear yourself sing...much less anybody else in the congregation. I thought the band was too loud ...as it was, but it got worse. At some point during the program, huge sparklers like fireworks started going off on stage. That was even more ridiculous...but it got even worse when what sounded like a huge firecracker or bomb, exploded. That was all it took and I was outta there!

Now anybody that knows me personally knows I enjoy contemporary Christian music and that I'm very tolerant and always willing to understand things from a different perspective than what I've always believed. I even believe that an occasional dramatic skit may be in order to teach a lesson, and I've used them to accentuate my sermons before. So...I don't believe I'm being narrow-minded here. Folks...that was overkill and it was far from "decently and in order". Even my 20 year old son thought the theatrics were ridiculous for a church.

So many of the new churches are constructed in a way to enhance the volume of the performers on stage and reduce the volume coming from the singing of the congregation. All kinds of lighting effects and vapor machines are used to get people to "watch" the events going on onstage. Those churches are making a mistake in doing that. Another thing people know about me is that, personally I don't object to a "Praise Team" of singers, IF they are used to help the congregation sing their parts better. Worship is not a spectator sport, as someone has written. I certainly desire to be encouraged when I attend worship and more than anything, I desire that the singing be the best it can be.

To folks in my fellowship, let's seek ways to make worship and especially the singing, the best it can be. Let's stay up with the times and sing new songs as they become available. The Psalmist said: "Sing a new song to the Lord". But having said that, let's never attempt to turn the worship assembly into a Steven Spielberg-like production. God has told us how to worship...we don't need the help of Hollywood-like productions. (At times other than the worship assembly, special productions can be helpful to present a message).

To my Minister friends in other fellowships, please consider what I'm saying here. You may be surprised at how good singing can be if you do all you can to bring out the volume & four-part harmony of the congregational singing, instead of suppressing it or drowning it out with the bands so loud they give worshippers headaches.