Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Church Growth and the Assembly...
I am not sure a church can ever really grow if it continues to focus it's energy and mission around public worship. Everyone buys into the theory that church is not about the hour or two we spend together on Sundays. But the practice is different. Think about it.
Most church fights are over what we do, or how we do, public worship. People get upset enough to leave over worship practice. Most Christians get the overwhelming majority of their Bible study thru public worship. And what they get is generally one man's view.
When I hear talk of what is wrong with the church, or where they church is in danger, or what is exciting about church... it is almost always about public worship. The answer to struggling churches always seems to revolve around worship: change the preacher, add a praise team, go instrumental, change how we do communion.
Even when we talk about radical change, we seem to mean how we worship as a family. For years I have heard that one of the keys to being an evangelistic church is to ... (you can fill in the blank, but it seems to always be something new in worship).
And yet the Bible really says very little about our public assemblies. Very little instruction about who and how. Much more in Scripture about living like Jesus. More about evangelism. More about communal life together.
Maybe instead of emphasizing public worship -- and expecting that to lead to changed lives-- we should put the focus on changed lives for Jesus (and let worship flow out of that).
I am not sure a non-believer is ever going to be led to Jesus because of how we do, or don't do, worship. But I do believe that living radical lives for Jesus in our neighborhoods and on our jobs might interest a whole lot of people.
Of course... easier said than done.
Most church fights are over what we do, or how we do, public worship. People get upset enough to leave over worship practice. Most Christians get the overwhelming majority of their Bible study thru public worship. And what they get is generally one man's view.
When I hear talk of what is wrong with the church, or where they church is in danger, or what is exciting about church... it is almost always about public worship. The answer to struggling churches always seems to revolve around worship: change the preacher, add a praise team, go instrumental, change how we do communion.
Even when we talk about radical change, we seem to mean how we worship as a family. For years I have heard that one of the keys to being an evangelistic church is to ... (you can fill in the blank, but it seems to always be something new in worship).
And yet the Bible really says very little about our public assemblies. Very little instruction about who and how. Much more in Scripture about living like Jesus. More about evangelism. More about communal life together.
Maybe instead of emphasizing public worship -- and expecting that to lead to changed lives-- we should put the focus on changed lives for Jesus (and let worship flow out of that).
I am not sure a non-believer is ever going to be led to Jesus because of how we do, or don't do, worship. But I do believe that living radical lives for Jesus in our neighborhoods and on our jobs might interest a whole lot of people.
Of course... easier said than done.
Comments:
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WOW....Can you imagine our worship if it involved a congregation of changed lives as opposed to I come because "I'm suppose to be there" or "it's what I grew up with". Don't think for a minute I haven't sat through a worship service out of ritual habit. Wondering about the activities to follow or work on Monday.
However, In my opinion most congregations are made up of those of us who don't really know what it is to be lost. We have in our minds eye never been close to the edge and looked over into the chasm of eternal death because we go through the motions and do the right things and contribute when we can. We were baptized and yes we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and we would never murder, steal,and maybe only occasionally covet. We do our part!
I have argued over worship practice and now understand it's all about the heart. Perhaps my comments are invalid in that I haven't attended a corporate worship service in several years now, but in retrospect I now have a better understanding and perhaps a better realization of just what the death and resurrection of Jesus means to me.
However, In my opinion most congregations are made up of those of us who don't really know what it is to be lost. We have in our minds eye never been close to the edge and looked over into the chasm of eternal death because we go through the motions and do the right things and contribute when we can. We were baptized and yes we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and we would never murder, steal,and maybe only occasionally covet. We do our part!
I have argued over worship practice and now understand it's all about the heart. Perhaps my comments are invalid in that I haven't attended a corporate worship service in several years now, but in retrospect I now have a better understanding and perhaps a better realization of just what the death and resurrection of Jesus means to me.
I just heard a Rob Bell message in which someone commented on their worship assembly room that it obviously communicated that the real action is elsewhere. I like that. The people assemble for important reasons, like edification and empowerment, but the real action is "out there."
Pat -- valid comments. Understanding the death and resurrection better drives all of our life... and also our corporate worship. When you again are in public worship, I hope you will get opportunities to share your insights.
Randy -- I like that. the real action is out there. Wouldn't that concept radically change how we approach evangelism.
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Randy -- I like that. the real action is out there. Wouldn't that concept radically change how we approach evangelism.
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