Who Stole My Church?

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A new book by Gordon McDonald confronts the generational differences that affect the church - ours is not the only one who will be going thru this change. Y'all have heard me say before that we have to be ready to turn over leadership to your generation. The elders will all be reading this book in preparation for our leadership retreat in Sep. One of the main sticking points is the differences in music style between the generations. You guys will not remember because you weren't born yet but the explosion of contemporary christian music started in the early 80's with Keith Green. When he was killed in the plane crash others stepped up to continue the musical renaissance. But we can't neglect the older generation and forget to use music that resonates with them so that they can enter into worship. Take a look at this video posted on crosswalk.com and see if we aren't all guilty of the same attitude when our particular style of music isn't being used: http://www.crosswalk.com/video/11576826/

Someone shared on our trip to Moody what goes on at his church and I hope we never get to that at CBC. He said that when praise songs are being sung the older folks just stand there with their arms crossed and scowling but when they sing the hymns they sing at the top of their lungs almost defiantly -- some act of worship isn't it?

Or how about when someone refuses to play or sing because they don't like a particular song. There are plenty of songs I don't care for but I don't refuse to sing them because the songwriter wrote it to worship God. Maybe we can re-arrange it to update it but to not sing because you don't like it isn't the thing to do either.

Maybe one Sunday the worship team should just stand up there and look at the congregation during worship like some in the congregation look at us every week. We really need to check our attitudes and as the video says figure out what worship is really about...

Comments

Chad said…
Just wanted to say that I'm not ignoring this post. It's been on my mind ever since the same day that you wrote it Terry.
I just don't have anything to say at the moment =)
June 20, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Terry said…
maybe others are thinking about it too. I can't help but think that CBC is on the cusp of something big and that we better be doing some serious praying for God to work here in us and hold back satan so we can be all God wants us to be in this community
June 20, 2008 at 4:26 PM
Richie said…
I'm about three and a half chapters into this book and I'm very excited about it. As of now, I highly recommend reading it. I expect it will help the generations that are in the church understand each other.
June 26, 2008 at 8:55 AM
Timothy Bisulca said…
I also feel that Calvary is on the cusp of something new and different. It is exciting to hear Victor talk about moving above and beyond what we are comfortable doing. The question is, "How far are you willing to follow God?" How radical are we willing to go as a church? I am talking about the whole church here. We can't go anywhere if everybody isn't on board. I don't want to talk about it, but the minute what God is calling us to do appears too radical or uncomfortable, we pull back and don't make any changes. If you tell me "I want to go radical for God" I am ready to jump on board, but I want to do it, not just talk it. Are you reeaaallly willing to be radical for Jesus? Also, I want to be part of a church that is truly seeking God's will for its future. Sometimes I feel that when people talk about becoming what God wants us to be and taking us beyond where we are now, they have in mind being a megachurch with lots of people and programs, and that is their goal. But is that where God wants us to be? God has called those churches to be what they are where they are for a specific reason. But it is for the area they are in. It is not necessarily a model for all churches around the world. (I am not saying that we shouldn't look to megachurches at all. They do many things well. But we need to be looking at what God wants us to be in our area. It could be a megachurch, but it could be something else entirely). I am sorry if I seem a little frustrated, but I would dearly love to see the church really take a leap of faith and really listen to what God has in store for it, and be willing to go radical.
June 26, 2008 at 12:09 PM
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