A couple of weeks ago, I sat in our living room with a couple of church members after dinner. As we talked, I asked them, “Why don’t people sing during our church service?” It was an honest question. What ensued was a long discussion about the role of music in the church and a rehashingContinueContinue reading ““Do You Hear the People Sing?””
Category Archives: Church
Shock and Awe: Exhibitionism in the Church
The newest generation of twenty-somethings in the church are bound and determined to prove that they are nothing like their parents–which, oddly enough, makes them very much like their parents’ generation. Many of these believe the church’s decline has been promulgated by old traditions, legalism, and false piety. The answer? Shock and Awe. The bestContinueContinue reading “Shock and Awe: Exhibitionism in the Church”
Ever the Critic, Never the Originator
Has anyone noticed that there are a lot of people telling us Christians that we are doing a lot of stuff wrong? The funny thing is that many of these very people are studying to become shepherds of the flock, or are currently pastors, yet they are perhaps the harshest accusers of the brethren. IContinueContinue reading “Ever the Critic, Never the Originator”
God Actually Does Care How We Worship Him
God actually does care how we worship Him. When you put it that way, of course no one will disagree–at least not vocally. However, pragmatically many churches and pastors are organizing their Sunday morning worship service according to one mantra: “If it works…”, well, you know the rest. As I have been reading through the second half ofContinueContinue reading “God Actually Does Care How We Worship Him”
Top Ten Reasons I Love My Widows
Yes, my widows. As their pastor, I am blessed to have them as members of my flock (1 Peter 5:1-2). And yes, I am unashamed to call them “widows”. These women wear the label like a badge of honor, and Biblically speaking, they ought to (1 Timothy 5:3). Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, myContinueContinue reading “Top Ten Reasons I Love My Widows”
Retweets, Reposts, and Links: Gimme Something Original!
A large portion of our online interaction these days deals with sharing discoveries, pages, videos, and memes not original to ourselves. Some of this stems from the fact that we as social creatures enjoy things more when we share them with someone; God did declare in Genesis 2 that it was not good for manContinueContinue reading “Retweets, Reposts, and Links: Gimme Something Original!”
The Lord’s Prayer: Let’s Get Litur-gi-cal!
The Lord’s Prayer is a historical mainstay in Christian liturgy, yet it has been strangely scarce in Baptist life. I don’t mean that we never reference that portion of Matthew and Luke; we just never use it as an aid in corporate worship (i.e., pray it together in service). When I joined a club soccerContinueContinue reading “The Lord’s Prayer: Let’s Get Litur-gi-cal!”