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This post is a few months old, but still relevant. The Philosophical Pastor points out some things you might have already known about how the seeker-sensitive model does church:
1) Attempts to incorporate highly-produced contemporary music into the worship services--without any professional players on hand2) Attempts to incorporate drama--without competent, experienced thespians available.
3) Thousands of dollars invested in A/V equipment to support the above, and to broadcast Willow-provided video when the above proved to be driving people away due to its lack of slick professionalism (go figure).
4) Pastors preaching sermon after Sunday sermon to “seekers” …that weren’t there!
5) People who used to teach bible studies and other kinds of small group experiences recruited for drama, clicking PowerPoint slides, “servant evangelism” events (the seeker-sensitive version of product promotion - not to be confused with the kind of servant evangelism where the recipient doesn’t know what church you’re representing as you serve) and other kinds of newly created positions.
6) “Spiritual Gifts” inventories distributed that promised to determine where to place people in personally-rewarding kinds of busyness – which oddly enough landed most people up in volunteering to do something related to putting on the new brand of Sunday production…
7) Due to all of the above, decreasing numbers of “satisfied,” mature followers of Christ… and a slow trickle out the back door. Most really tried; but they just didn’t seem to “fit in” any more. They were called “immature” or “selfish” of course as they left (for not buying in to the program)...
I've been personally involved in 1 and 2 been to churches that do 3, 4, 5 and have been subjected to 6. I'm still optimistic though. I do think that for all the Church gets wrong (based on whatever standards you choose) most churches are truly trying to follow God.
That said, I'd still count each point as a potential pitfall. So, which of these have you run across? Any additional ones you would add to the list? Other thoughts?
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Comments (9)
Sure it's nice to rock and roll and have charismatic pastors like Bill Hybels but not every church has this stuff. Every church however, can have the Spirit in whatever quantity they care to desire and ask for. Now that's gonna pull people!
Seek ye first...
I have observed that praise band services tend to put the congregation in an audience role. The band is typically set up at the front with the congregation facing them. We tend to be distracted by the performers rather than focusing on the message. Amplified instruments drown the voices of those congregants who may be singing along. No one knows the music or the words, and modern phrasing is generally counter intuitive to the meter of the spoken text. Eeven when lyrics are projected, the screen dominates the visual space like a television. Then we clap at the end of a song.
Just so you know, I am not an "old fogey" traditionalist. I work in the entertainment industry...and know a concert audience when I see one.
The advantage of a traditional service is that the congregatants hear themselves singing together, even when led by a choir. The best uses of music in services I have experienced incoroporate many different forms: childrens choruses, solo voice and piano, full orchestra and chorus, organ and voices, chamber group, jazz ensemble, hand bells, gospel ensembles, ethnic instruments and praise bands. All of these wonderful forms are best added to the service as extras, typically 1 or 2 of the pieces in a 4 to 6 piece service. But the baseline of the service should congregants singing music they know based on scripture they know. Typically, that means hymns.