I was in another city in NC this weekend when I saw a church advertising a new worship service. The banner was huge. It proclaimed the name of the worship service followed by the definitive subtitle: "an alternative worship service." I have seen this kind of thing many times before; I have even heard the phrase quite a few times. But it never hit me quite like this. The church probably thinks they are being progressive, maybe even a little "edgy." Church people like to think of themselves as "a little edgy." It's cool to be edgy. I was even in a Sunday School class in a very traditional, conservative church once that referred to themselves as the remedial class. Why? They didn't use the Sunday School curriculum; they used the Bible alone! In the whole worship dynamic that thrives in churches, people talk about modern worship, contemporary worship, and alternative worship. Some are even calling it postmodern worship. Most of them do this in an attempt to get unreached people to come to their churches.
I have been hanging out with quite a few of these "unreached people," and here's what I've found out: they don't speak that language. They don't know what "contemporary worship" means. They don't know what "modern worship" means. Unless they are philosophers, they have no idea what "postmodern worship" means, and if they are philosophers, they are wrong in their assumptions about what "postmodern worship" is. And "altenative worship?" That doesn't sound very appealing. It might make them think of an "alternative school" for behaviorally challenged kids. It might make them think of an alternative to Christian worship - like some kind of rose-selling, Cool-Aid-drinking, comet-catching, compound-burning cult. Translation: STAY AWAY!!
It strikes me how most Christians have spent so much time with other Christians that they have lost touch with people who aren't Christians. We forget how they think. We forget how they talk. We forget how things sounded to us before we loved Jesus. People who haven't spent their lives in churches know nothing of the worship shift that has swept America. They have no idea that guitars were brought into churches in the 70's. They have no idea that full bands were brought into churches in the 80's. They have no idea that decks and electonics found their way into churches in the 90's. And they sure have no idea that many churches in the Bible belt think it's cool that, here in the 21st century, churches are adopting the church music of the 70's or 80's. They have no idea that "contemporary worship means "contemporary music." They have no idea that "alternative worship" means "alternative to boring."
Maybe it communicates something we don't intend. Maybe it even communicates something terrible. Maybe it communicates that this new worship service isn't the real worship. Maybe it communicates that the real worship happens at 11:00 where it is labeled "traditional" and the reject worship happens at the "alternative worship" on Sunday nights. What if it communicates that this new worship service is a half-way house of sorts? A half-way house for non-worshipping types. A half-way house designed to move cultural oddities into mainstream cultural normalcy. What if we are insulting the people we are trying to reach?
What if we stopped doing that? What if we just worshipped authentically? What if we stopped trying to get them to come to us? What if we started hanging out with them? What if we talked to them? What if we just told them about our worship?
Wow. That would be an alternative.
4 comments:
So today, I drove down to naples to a homeless shelter, and decided to play some rummy with a few fellows. I dont think I was smart enough to be scared honestly, But after about the fifth time they asked me again for "you got an money? no? oh... You got any drugs? no? oh.... you got any alcohol?" I guess I just needed to show them some old school Rummy Beat Down, to easy my spirit. Anyways, I met these 3 guys. One of the guys (they aked to use aliases) so we will call him Jim, was sitting across from me and was in his late 40s and the talkative one of the group. Jim was from Boston and moved down here, lost his job... lost his wife... lost his dog... and got hit by a car and had to have back surgery. (sounds like a country song doesn't it?) Jason, who sat to his left, was a 20 something petty thief, who checked in to the shelter to lay low after "stealing to many cars" as he would put it. He had big 8 gauge plugs in his ears and the most wicked spiderweb ink on his right elbow. To my right was Old Man Huckelbee, much past his 60s Huck, was your typical Pychosomatic druggy. Huck was a sight to see... covered in ink from head to toe... barly noticable through all his aged skin and wrinkles.... Huck smiled like he held 4 aces the entire game.
So anyways, Huck deals out the first hand, and I must say, I had gotten a very nice hand. Looks like things might go my way. Inside however I was only praying that I remembered how to play rummy... But as the game progressed I relized most of the guys did not even care about the rules (or maybe just didnt know them). But I wasnt there to play cards legit anyways. In fact the cards were mostly there just to keep our hands busy and our eyes looking at something more apealing than each other (oh, that queen of Diamonds)
The guys told some jokes, and each took turn laughing and trying to top the next joke. [not the kind jokes you tell to people who actually know you, but still funny none the less] and the typical old guys picking on the young and the young picking on the old.
Eventually, the dinner hall opened and they guys had to grab some grub... the shelter gave dinner for free. Jim said he and the guys just steal from Publix if they miss dinner. So I parted ways and let them get the Chicken Teriaki that was calling out (smelled like cabbage to me) and off I was on another pointless adventure.
Not that this was a meaningless encounter... just I dont like points... I like things to be more fluid and dynamic. But anyways, I was reading your "alternative sevice" blog and got to thinking about my new friends, and how right you are. They just dont care about the christian jargon, and christian culture.
It Just reminded me I asked Jim about church and he only replied "where do you think these sores on my knees comes from"
Maybe theres more to Alternative than even church... Maybe the "Alternative" that people are looking for is just simply relationships?
Maybe love can be an alternative
I'm quoting part of this article, Jonathan. I like how the things I have been thinking you find a way to state in a more beautiful and profound way then I could ever express. Thanks for the authenticity....it's about time Christians stopped being snobs
I really liked this posting about Worship. I happen to LOVE to Worship the Lord, but understand that those we Believers call the "Unchurched" could really get confused about all the lingo. That goes for most areas in the church. I don't like church. I've been a Believer all my life, been to many different denominations, but I don't like church. You have it right, in that we got to go to the "unchurched" and be part of our world, and stop waiting for them to come to us. Oh, by the way I make Worship flags:) Hundreds that have gone to 30 plus countries, but I get some pretty weird looks when folks find out that I do that. Bonnie's Mom
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