Gospel Lite

[Mark Luper]

I find this post terribly interesting. I just joined a church that my family has been associated with for close to 100 years. My grandfather had been it's pastor for 20 back in the 40's and 50's and my own parents were extremely involved up to this day. My parents were missionaries.  

Now this is a Southern Baptist church and it felt like I was home again...except for the music in what is known as the "Classical" service. We currently have a interim music minister and all he wanted to sing was stuff like shukins refered to. I don't much care for it but don't want to diss something I haven't had the opportunity to try much.

I have been away from the church far too long to make an issue out of it at this time. I am recently divorced and was wanting to change churches because my ex is very involved in the one I belonged to.

I think there can be a middle ground found that will make me happy. I just want to find it where I just joined.

[RedTop]

My wife and I became members of a church. We worked in the youth part along with other adults. My Brother is the Youth minister and the 1st pastor behind the head man. Forget the title he has. Anyways , the music in the church every Sunday morning was LOUD and at best OK in mine and my wifes view. We liked older traditional types of music. I can get into the edgey stuff at times. But for the most part I like older style music.

We always got alot out of the sermons from Pastor. My brother is a GREAT speaker and preaches alot like my grandfather did. Just on more up to date topics.

But , church has IMHO become more and more big and unpersonal.

I relate it to this.

We worked every Sunday morning in the kitchen. Serving Donuts , Coffee  and Breakfast tacos before Service. It was a simple job really with the youth helping out each week. It was fun a rewarding.

When my mother became ill and needed us home more we simply told the people that we would have to let it be done by others and the reasons behind it. They all knew how sick my mom was. We had been doing this work for over a year.

When things got rough towards the end of my moms life  , we needed the church. We needed help. We got nothing. Even my brother who works there and teaches there and is a very importatnt part of the church was basically put on the back burner. I have talked to him on this subject before. He related that teh people we had become friends with would ask him about how we were.

Where were the phone calls and the visits from the old days. Where the pastor would call on families and see what the church could do to help. Nothing. We got a visit and some food the week before my Mom died.

Very much turned me off. I haven't been back to church since my mom died. And to be honest , I really won't go back to that church until I talk to the pastor and get answers to questions I have.

Sermons are to fill my spiritual gas tank for the week. I enjoy church. The teaching and the fellowship that can be found there.

I don't enjoy the commercial and corparate way church as went.

Give me a smaller congregations that is warm , caring and will be there for thier friends , over  2000 and a big production every sunday anyday.

[Shuckins]

Appreciate the posts guys;  Seagoon, Mustaine, Red Top, Luper...

I'm prepared to deal with change...guess it's inevitable...but not when it's crowding out the older forms of worship that I grew up with.  Not when it's proponents think I'm not being genuine if I don't emote while I'm singing...swaying, hand-waving, crying...the whole nine yards.

I don't like to be bull-dozed.

In all fairness...this is not a major problem in my church...yet...and I hope it never is.  But I'm afraid, as the years pass, the potential is there.


The wife and I really like this church.  It has an active membership of about 500, the largest church we've ever belonged to...and probably the friendliest.  That friendliness is not an affectation or an act.  They are great people...and choir practices are a blast...joshing, laughing, and professional in it's approach to the music.

Great experiences all around in the worship services.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by Tarmac
Yup, that's my take on church.  I go for a sermon, not the music.  Especially not some new age crap sung by some "emoting" showman.  Contemporary Christian music sucks.

That seems to be the formula for most of these "megachurches" now... it makes me want to gag... and not go to church.

Must be a Michigan thing, I agree.