Also, here are some pictures of the new art series that I am doing for the MERCYhou
se building.Now for my rant.
Recently. as I wrote, we were down in Georgia, and we drove there and back. His is about 17 hours of driving both ways, so we had a lot of time on our hands. One of the ways we passed it was to listen to sermons and talks from conventions, and out of that saturation comes this weeks thoughts. They are messy at best, and I am still working out a lot of stuff, but I hope that this communicates them a little.
Much of what I listened to and have been working out is what "church" looks like today. Now, before I go any further, I have to say that what church looks like in the Pioneer Valley may or may not be what church looks like other places. We need to see both the cultural similarities and differences. What works in Seattle or New York City will not necessarily work here in Amherst. That being said, I think some of what churches like Redeemer and Mars Hill do will work where I am.
What is that then? What will work? Well of one, after talking to some students at Umass Campus who don't go to church, they said music could persuade them to come. So it seems like we need good music. This isn't a bash to our music team now, I think they are good, and that is one of the reasons that we have seen the growth we have seen. But to reach more people, plant more churches, we need more music, different music. We need a Hardcore service, a Emo service, etc. and we need awesome musicians to step up and lead God's people to Him.
It seems like today people are breaking up along musical lines, and if this is the case, we need to saturate into every genera and sub-genera- and we will be able to do this through music.
So that is one way we do new church.
I am also becoming more "post-modern" in worship style. Art for worship. Poetry for worship. Multi-media for worship. All for worship. I think if we are to reach this new generation we need to look at what a church service consists of, and modify it where needed.
Now there are things that will always have to be done. Faithful biblical teaching, communion, prayer, worship, evangelism- but how these things are done can be new and "relevant". Who is to say what worship is? DO we need organs and robes- maybe, maybe not. Organs may help some worship better, they may put up a wall that allows others to not worship at all. We need to figure out ways to facilitate worship of God among His people.
What does new church look like? I don;t know, but I do know that for me, it doesn't look like my parents church. Electric guitars and candles help me to meet God better than early mornings and pianos. If that is not true for you, great. We need all the different expressions of worship. God is bigger than my style and yours.
I personally believe that the way to reach the colleges, at leas Umass is loud music, big sound systems, and rocking services. This is something that Mars Hill church and others do, and I think it would translate well to this Valley. Hek we have hardcore music concerts at our building every week, and it doesn't get much louder than these kids like it- and the place gets filled. SO lets bring church to them. They are never going to feel comfortable at 9am singing "Go Tell it on the Mountain" with a choir in the back. And if we put up this artificial block to the gospel, we are in a heap of trouble come Judgment Day. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the one who stands before the LORD and he tells me that I was the reason that these other people never heard the gospel.
I think new church looks like, at least here, having an evening option, as well as a morning. This is not that revolutionary an idea, by the way. College kids sleep late, especially those who are not Christians. They are out late Saturday night, drinking and partying. So if the time is a barrier to the Gospel, why not bring them another time?
Lets incorporate art and poetry and loads of other things. Let us bring church to the people.
1 comment:
Nate, I admire your desire to reach people - but I disagree with some of what you're saying. Your approach sounds like modern marketing. "There's a brand for everyone.." That's very pragmatic, but Pragmatism isn't always the right answer.
Rocking worship that simply engages the emotions (which is what I would call our current worship at Mhouse) leads to an overload of spirtual emotional soft and fuzzies...we seek the experience of God rather then God in Spirit and Truth. We try and feel God and then are left dry and discouraged when we do not "feel" his presence. Have you noticed how often the songs we sing on Sunday mention "I" ...that simple word, yet sung in a selfish manner. Our contemporary Christian Music is garbage. Rocking worship..lacking substance leads to death. It does not engage the heart and the mind, it simply tugs at the emotions.
What you failed to mention is that Marshill does not sing contemporary christian music, they write their own, they re-work hymns to modern "rocking" chords. These songs have substance...they are rocking and substantive. They engage the heart and the mind. It is not just another brand of music.
The other way to "Bring" people to the church is to engage their brokeness. We are very sensitive to the outsider on Sunday. But do we ever confront people with the wrath of God, which is being poured out on those who do not believe? Do we do this on Sunday? Not that we should be rude, nor should we be arrogant. But we should, every Sunday, confront people with the fact that Gods wrath is upon them save for the Cross of Christ.
This should be preached, and lived out in our congregation. It's biblical, Jesus said to be full of Grace and Seasoned with Salt - and He did not pull any punches with that brood of viper Pharasee's, or the adulterous women.
Whatever we do, a church service that is overemotional and politically correct will eventually lead to a NICE, cliquey church.
Our church should be confrontational of Sin on Sundays, in our worship, in our relationships. We should be welcoming and friendly. We should be orthodox. But even more - we should swim in the stream of the historical church by embracing and structuring our services in a more liturgical fashion. (if it were my choice we would structure our services after the Heidleburg Catechism)...
Whether church starts at 9am, 11am, or 6pm - who cares. As long as each and every presentation of the Gospel, whether singing or in the sermon - confronts, in plain english, the sinfulness of man, the brokenness of man, and the salvation and Glory of Jesus Christ I'm all for it.
When our services and our behavior look like that - you'll see growth, you'll see people engaging the scriptures in a critical and worshipful way. And God will get much glory
-Chris Matera
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