C’mon, admit it. There are things about church that ya hate. Most of you won’t have to think very long before you come up with a list of items that can make Sunday mornings unbearable. Even the most die-hard of church goers occasionally find things not to their liking. You may not want to admit it, but sometimes church sucks!
After thirty seven years of being around this institution, I could vent for hours about things that really grind my gears. I have more than a few white hairs that are the result of the silliness that can go on within these hallowed walls. Being a pastor actually makes it worse at times. Things that I hate, that I thought I could simply do away with once I had the power (I hope that made you picture me as He-Man), I have found to be necessary. There can be solid reasoning behind the some of craziness that exists only within the confines of the church. So here is some insight into some of the things that I hate most about church that I have learned to see the value of (and how we have tweaked them a bit to change the level of suckitude.)
Ok, lets deal with the biggie first. All together now, everyone say it with me…church is BORING! This is not an exaggeration. I have experienced it first hand. For years! Growing up in Non-denominational churches, I could call the order of service long before I set foot in the door: Three songs and a Sermon! Sometimes they would switch out the boredom for anxiety with a rousing alter call and the opportunity to put your shame on public display, but usually it was the standard three songs and a sermon. This gets old, quick. Even the most charismatic speaker runs out of good stories after a year or two and then usually starts recycling. I think that’s the reason so many people church hop. They are just looking for some fresh stories. And, in all honesty, if I have to sing a version of “Our God Is An Awesome God” one more time, my head will explode from my body. For the love of all that is holy, people, switch it up!
The thing is, worship is important. Sermons are important. Scripture teaches us that worship is a necessary interaction with God. We cannot fully experience Him without engaging in it. Scripture also commands us to preach God’s Word. It specifically states that lives are changed through preaching. Check out Romans 10:14:
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
The reality is, the things that sometimes can seem so boring are critical to our spiritual lives. So what can we do to relieve the boredom and yet keep what is important? Mix things up a bit. Don’t be so predictable. If a movie clip can illustrate your point better that the same, tired, old stories, then pastor…shut up! If you have played a worship song for the last five years, eighty-six that bad boy and learn a new one! Add some comedy. (God has a sense of humor) Interject current events. Use *gasp* secular music as a connection point. Be self deprecating. (people want to laugh at you!) Preach first and worship later… I don’t know, be creative! This is harder than the simple standard. It requires work and creativity from ministry leaders. But it’s worth it. You’d be surprised how much more of your message people retain if they are awake. So ditch the boredom, get creative, and give folks one less thing to hate about church.
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