Christian Living

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“Church” is today unrecognizable from half a century ago. Stone-walled, cathedral-like, echoing premises or tiny halls have been replaced by disused warehouses. They’re done up and redecorated with all the latest electronic gadgetry and lighting installed to prove it’s “cool.” Even a glass-walled “crystal cathedral” isn’t too far out.

A formal, sedate, standardized order of service with three hymns posted and the Bible reading, has been replaced with anything goes. Shaking like Elvis did, and hands trembling “in the spirit” is nothing unusual, and instead of maybe four verses of those separate hymns there might be one chorus sung fifteen times.

In some churches women preachers are often indistinguishable from men with their short hair, long pants and masculine mannerisms and forcefulness. One may well wonder why women don’t want to look like women any more.

People don’t dress up now; in fact some young people turn up as though ready for the beach—which they may well be—in thongs, singlet and surfing shorts.

It isn’t all bad.The unusual can be welcome. It’s a heartening sight to see hundreds of smokers walk up to a church platform and toss their packs of cigarettes into a huge pile as a gesture of reform.

While starchiness has for the most part disappeared, is there a lack of reverence in today’s proceedings? Are people attending because the lead singer is so glamorous, has just marketed another CD, and the pianist once played with a famous rock group— or are they present because of a deep respect, awe and regard for God?

Would they still be there, one wonders, if the charismatic, ex-druggie preacher were to move on, or if the church suddenly switched to old-time Methodist hymns; some surely far more meaningful than today’s pennings—many of which are more about “me, myself and I”, and how God will bless me, rather than what can I do for Him.

A trendy church can of course become ritualistic too. Shouting prayers, clapping and jumping and frequent use of words such as “fantastic, awesome, terrific” can become as well-worn as the old-time church routines of stand-up, sing, sit down, read a prayer from a sheet.

Maybe a mixture of old and new might be the ideal?

On the plus side of modernism, the young people are actually in church and not hanging out on the street corner, planning mischief, or dealing or taking drugs. Even hearing one sentence about God is better than nothing at all were they absent.

Worshipping in a trendy church or traditional, the core of the matter is surely what is in our heart. Why are we there, is it to praise God or for some other reason?

[I'm not in "Private Messenger" so I can't read and reply to your emails sent there. You can reach me at saul2_au at yahoo dot com

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