Bren Hughes, of Gallatin, TN, has written a thoughtful post entitled Formality in Worship. In it he references Bill Gnade's Informed Formality in his discussion of CofC worship. He also makes reference to us.
Click the link above to check it out. Bren shares some ideas that continue to challenge our thinking as we seek to be more relevant.
Please share your thoughts.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
A little more on formality and relevance
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7 comments:
I finally got the chance to go to this link and read. I found it interesting and I especially enjoyed the comment made by the guy named James. Bren said he was planning to write more about this subject the following morning, but I havn't read it yet. I'll read it as soon as I can and comment here if something grabs me.
Ok. I just read "part 2" and I really enjoyed the last paragraph. I find it very interesting to think of how things might be alot different today concerning "fru-fru" if the early Christians weren't poor and persecuted. Very interesting to think about.
I am sitting here in my hotel room this evening in Columbus and just took the time to read all of Bill Gnade’s five part series on “The Emerging Informality”. First of all, Bill, thank you for your challenging thoughts. For me, they have been very thought provoking.
I must truly be one messed up person.
I recently took a survey from a web site (forget now where it was) that asked many questions about your personal Christian beliefs. After the survey was complete, a list of the top 10 Christian denominations would appear to give you an idea of where you may best “fit in” with a group of people seeking to serve the Lord.
You know what the top two denominations were in my results? The Greek Orthodox Church and then the Catholic Church! If you know just a little bit about these two groups, one characteristic that they have in common is…formality! For those of you who know me pretty well, I am probably one of the most informal people around! The one, who for years has professed directly and indirectly that being informal somehow brings us closer to the Throne of God in our assembly worship time. Does it?
Recently, I have struggled with how informal we (especially I) have been in our assemblies. Where are we heading with all the high tech stuff, the dress down and casual atmosphere? It seems to me that we, in our fellowship, are diligently searching for “worshipping in spirit and in truth”. I have no doubt other fellowships are doing the same. I personally am trying to understand what Jesus is actually saying when He spoke about worshipping in spirit and in truth. Does change in our assembly from past traditions make this happen? Do we need to do the same things we have always done (tradition) in the past to make this happen?
At this point, I can only ascertain that I desire formality and informality. A balance. I pray that is what Jehovah wants.
Oh well, Bill, if you read this comment, thank you for your series. If nothing else, it has caused me to re-think my informality and consider “informed formality”.
Taylor,
I am glad you took the opportunity to read Bill's series. It seems that you found it stimulating. I hope you are doing well in Columbus.
Doing pretty good. Miss everyone at Sunshine. Hope to see you soon!
Dear Taylor,
I am honored that you should have read my series from beginning to end. That's a huge compliment to me, even if you had not find it worthwhile. I hope being "thought provoking" is a good thing.
Now, I must say that I disagree with you, adamantly: You are not one messed up person at all. I think everyone struggles to find his or her place in the Body of Christ. Sometimes I even think God wants it that way, so that we might not get too cozy within our churches, content that church is all there is.
Can I share with you a question that came zooming into my head one night during my evening prayers? It is a rhetorical question, so you need not answer it.
Here it is: Has Jesus Christ Himself told you not to be a Roman Catholic? Now, just to be perfectly clear, this is exactly how I heard the question -- with the pronoun you (and not I).
I've struggled with this particular question for over 20 years. And I have in fact answered it (for myself): "Christ has not told me not to be a Catholic." But even though I've answered the question, it does not follow that I am now a Catholic. I am not.
Of course, there are many things I do (or don't do) that are not a result of following a direct order from Christ. I am not wondering if Christ told me to write this comment. Nor have I had a golden and glowing visitor in my house at night telling me in Aramaic that I must study philosophy or drink Earl Grey tea at breakfast (I do both). But the Protestant/Catholic question is really not only of a different scale, it's almost of a different order: it's a gigantic question. Though I've struggled with that massive question, I remain Protestant, though barely.
In all candor, the question has defined my spiritual struggle since I first heard it. And I am glad of that. For it has pushed me to ask other questions as to where, when, and how I became a non-Catholic (other than by accident of birth). Who told me that Catholicism was bad, even VERY bad? Who told me to distrust hierarchy or tradition or formality or Mass or statues of Mary? If not my Lord, then who? Are they right?
Anyhow, I thought I'd share with you how my own sense of being a mis-fit began.
Peace to you,
Bill Gnade
Dear Bill:
Thanks for following up with your comments.
Please do consider it a compliment that I read your entire series. It is also a compliment to say they were thought provoking to me.
In my walk with the Lord, I, at times, really struggle with how He wants me to “fit” within a group of believers. I cannot say that I have ever struggled with deciding on becoming Catholic…or identifying with any other group of believers except the one I was born and raised in (Church of Christ). I say this simply because I usually end up disagreeing with the theology (please allow me to use this term here). However, I even struggle with some of the things our fellowship teaches and practices. I am beginning to think part of this struggle comes from man being involved. We are so weak and inherently evil. I say this and then think, Jehovah God is the one who made us this way (this is a whole subject in and of itself that I will not spend anytime right now going into). The flesh causes a lot of confusion that distracts the spiritual discernment we all should be seeking.
I realize that one reason I stay within the fellowship of the Church of Christ is because I am comfortable. Not a good reason.
Another reason I do is because I find a core of brothers and sisters who are hungry and desire to walk with the Lord. I am truly blessed and encouraged and grow in Christ because of people like this. I am blessed to fellowship with brothers and sisters at Sunshine Church of Christ who encourage and teach me. What I have found though is that there are plenty of other folks outside of our fellowship that are doing the same. They hunger to please Him and diligently seek Him.
In my walk, I am convinced more and more that the Holy Spirit and His Holy Word will truly guide me (and all the rest of us)into truth and help me apply that truth. Becoming more like Jesus. I see that this will certainly be a life long process.
Back to the formality issue, I have always been intrigued with the strict formalities of the Catholic Church. Even those practices and rituals I can find no scriptural basis for. I think what interests me the most about the formality is that it portrays reverence, respect.
I do not want to ever lose reverence in approaching the Lord. I think that at times I have.
Thanks again for responding.
“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”
Taylor
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