Very Different Worship Styles

[Mike]

My family visited another church for their worship service yesterday. Now, our church is a big one with a 1200 seating capacity, 4 weekly services, and about 600 people at the biggest one typically. Most people dress nicely, and we have the liturgical order of worship. It's a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregation.

We visited a very different Assemblies of God church which is located right next to our son's high school where he's been going to youth nights. We sang 5 LOUD songs, the pastor preached for 45 minutes, and we sang 1 song to close. No Communion at this service. Tattoos, jeans, t-shirts, and coffee cups were everywhere in a "rustic", painted cinderblock room with about 150 people.

Neither one is wrong, IMHO... just very different. I'm 45, and I don't know if I can experience a change in my idea of what I've come to be comfortable with or if it will just take time. Some will say "come as you are" and some will say there is a proper way of honoring the Lord which isn't in a cut-off t-shirt. I lean toward the "honoring" mentality, but not too much. I can see value on both sides, and certainly neither prevents honest worship.

Have you ever experienced such a difference? Have you gone to a church like mine and felt suffocated? How do you feel about the two extremes?

 

[Classik]

I think the 'come as you are' thing may be okay. The Lord watches the heart.

 

[jasoncran]

i cant say until you describe what you use for worship in greater detail. dressing nice to me well im not into suits for church.

when i need to dress up i use my class a for that.

 

[Mike S]

I've worshiped for more than 30 years in a Methodist congregation, where we usually have about 70 people in a service. Not large, but not the smallest church around. Our congregation is majority black, with the majority of that being West Indian. The rest of us are a few whites, quite a few non-West Indian blacks - most with long family history in America - and, increasingly, many new members from Nigeria.

Our services have been pretty traditional Methodist, sedate and reserved but very spiritual. There is a growing segment of our congregation (including me) that wants a much more physically demonstrative service, more in the style of the AME church, with lots of praise music, and clapping, and Amens from the congregation. I frequently worship with AME churches, and like that style.

On the other hand, I've also worshiped at meeting of Quakers where they have silent worship. The service can be an hour of total silence, as we meditate, or can have several people stand and give thoughtful messages (called a popcorn meeting). My wife belongs to such a Quaker meeting, where we married many years ago.

I've felt God's presence in most services I've attended, so I'm not dismissive of any worship style where people can feel close to God.

 

[handy]

I've been through the whole spectrum... from "fellowship celebration" to the same as you, the LCMS liturgical service.

I have to admit that the "fellowship celebration" in which everyone definitely came as they were, folks were constantly getting up and down to grab cookies and coffee or punch (yes, during the service), kids running back and forth from the kid's church to their parents... folks interrupting the pastor's sermon, to the point where several times he lost the thread of his original message... none of that connected with my spirit at all. I never felt as though I had been to worship God... it was far more like a bible study (and a not very well moderated one at that) with praise and worship music added.

Also, when we were going to the ELCA, before we moved up here, we went to one down in the Boise area. It was a variation on the liturgy... and not really all that bad, BUT...

The sanctuary really wasn't all that large and it was constructed to optimize proximity to the dais. The new, young pastor wanted to "bring 'em in" with loud rock music... so everything was amped up big time... When I say loud, I mean LOUD!!!

Now, I'm not opposed to loud rock music and when I'm driving my car I tend to have both volume and bass pumped up. But, when one is before a band that has several electric guitars, piano, keyboard, 2 drummers, 3 trombones and 2 saxophones and everything is pumped up to the highest volume... in a fairly small room, it was just too much. Too overwhelming. It triggered seizures in Steve twice and I left with migraines more than once myself. 911 had to be called on one elderly gentleman and there was one service in which a family of visitors came, then left because their little one kept covering his ears, then finally started to cry.

There is something to be said about a church service that can actually trigger health issues in congregants. Not much that is good, though.

The several Nazarene churches that I've been to have been good, really good. The style is upbeat and a good blend of music, prayer time, preaching and communion...

I don't mind how a church conducts it's services... The liturgical style is good, so are more free-flowing styles... As long as all is done decently and in order and that the purposes for meeting are accomplished.

Myself, I prefer a more formal style with the emphasis upon God, rather than on music as does Steve, so the LCMS is a good fit for us.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

We visited a very different Assemblies of God church which is located right next to our son's high school where he's been going to youth nights. We sang 5 LOUD songs, the pastor preached for 45 minutes, and we sang 1 song to close. No Communion at this service. Tattoos, jeans, t-shirts, and coffee cups were everywhere in a "rustic", painted cinderblock room with about 150 people.

This is what happens when a church believes that the main purpose of 'church' is for drawing a bunch of unbelievers together and hoping some of them will get saved. The music and the refreshments is what it means to them to "‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full" (Luke 14:23 NIV).

Neither one is wrong, IMHO... just very different.

No, I think the belief that the primary purpose of 'church' is for leading unbelievers to salvation is very wrong and very misguided. Leading an unbeliever to Christ is only one of the things that we do to build up the Body of Christ. And it's certainly wrong to devote an entire church's mission to that one goal.

I'm 45, and I don't know if I can experience a change in my idea of what I've come to be comfortable with or if it will just take time. Some will say "come as you are" and some will say there is a proper way of honoring the Lord which isn't in a cut-off t-shirt. I lean toward the "honoring" mentality, but not too much. I can see value on both sides, and certainly neither prevents honest worship.

Again, I have to disagree with you. Luring in unbelievers with music and goodies does NOT provoke honest worship. Quite the opposite. Generally speaking of course.

I'm quite tired of being around church folk who think good worship music is simply good music. Nothing could be further from the truth. But if a person doesn't have a good spiritual compass and has never experienced true spiritual worship (like the hoards of unbelievers lured into our churches through their carnal appetites) they are hardly fit to know real worship from just good music.

Have you ever experienced such a difference? Have you gone to a church like mine and felt suffocated?

Yes. Because I get edified through study and discussion of the Word and the things of God, not by route worship procedures. I don't see any reason to go to a church that does not provide a spiritual connection with God that builds up the body. I'm not saying that, categorically, all liturgical churches are incapable of providing true spiritual food for the people of God, but it's a good bet it won't do that. It's not meant as an offense to anyone. It is my personal observation. And it seems many share the sentiment but are afraid to be honest about it thinking that everything their church does, and the way they do it, has been commanded by God.

How do you feel about the two extremes?

And there in lies the problem...AGAIN. 'Extremes' of belief and practice hardly ever represent the truth about things. Just look at everything the church struggles with and you'll see this is true so many, many times. Why are we stupid humans so black and white and incapable of accepting truths from the extremes and joining them together to form the whole truth? What is wrong with us!!!!?????

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I have to admit that the "fellowship celebration" in which everyone definitely came as they were, folks were constantly getting up and down to grab cookies and coffee or punch (yes, during the service), kids running back and forth from the kid's church to their parents... folks interrupting the pastor's sermon, to the point where several times he lost the thread of his original message... none of that connected with my spirit at all.

Just another example of someone's insane extreme that fails to capture the real truth about meeting together found somewhere in between this and the excessively liturgical form of meeting.

I never felt as though I had been to worship God... it was far more like a bible study (and a not very well moderated one at that) with praise and worship music added.

Get rid of the clamor and you might well have experienced what it truly means for the people of God to meet together and meet together in the most effective way.

Genuine heartfelt praise and worship can flow seamlessly out of a good, spiritually anointed Bible study that builds people up...if it is not suppressed, such as by being taught that is not where it can or should happen. A person has to experience what I'm saying before they'll accept the truth of this. I blame centuries of godless, spiritless leadership for bringing us to where we're at today. Sorry to be so blunt, but I think it's the honest truth.

...when one is before a band that has several electric guitars, piano, keyboard, 2 drummers, 3 trombones and 2 saxophones and everything is pumped up to the highest volume... in a fairly small room, it was just too much. Too overwhelming. It triggered seizures in Steve twice and I left with migraines more than once myself. 911 had to be called on one elderly gentleman and there was one service in which a family of visitors came, then left because their little one kept covering his ears, then finally started to cry.

There is something to be said about a church service that can actually trigger health issues in congregants. Not much that is good, though.

But it's a blast for unbelievers who are made to feel good about 'spiritual' things without having to actually commit to spiritual things. So many think they are actually offering up a genuine spiritual service to God by doing this for unbelievers.

The several Nazarene churches that I've been to have been good, really good. The style is upbeat and a good blend of music, prayer time, preaching and communion...

I don't mind how a church conducts it's services... The liturgical style is good, so are more free-flowing styles... As long as all is done decently and in order and that the purposes for meeting are accomplished.

That's what it's all about. We just need to start checking our 'extremes' at the door.

Myself, I prefer a more formal style with the emphasis upon God, rather than on music as does Steve, so the LCMS is a good fit for us.

What better thing to get focused on God than a richly anointed time of sharing around the Word of God? It really is the secret to getting our spirits primed for fellowship with God and each other. But the pump's prime will fail if the flow gets interrupted, either by chaos within the meeting or breaking up the meeting and trying to resume it laterk, breaking up the various parts of meeting together into distinct time and space slots.

 

[reba]

My family visited another church for their worship service yesterday. Now, our church is a big one with a 1200 seating capacity, 4 weekly services, and about 600 people at the biggest one typically. Most people dress nicely, and we have the liturgical order of worship. It's a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregation.

We visited a very different Assemblies of God church which is located right next to our son's high school where he's been going to youth nights. We sang 5 LOUD songs, the pastor preached for 45 minutes, and we sang 1 song to close. No Communion at this service. Tattoos, jeans, t-shirts, and coffee cups were everywhere in a "rustic", painted cinderblock room with about 150 people.

Neither one is wrong, IMHO... just very different. I'm 45, and I don't know if I can experience a change in my idea of what I've come to be comfortable with or if it will just take time. Some will say "come as you are" and some will say there is a proper way of honoring the Lord which isn't in a cut-off t-shirt. I lean toward the "honoring" mentality, but not too much. I can see value on both sides, and certainly neither prevents honest worship.

Have you ever experienced such a difference? Have you gone to a church like mine and felt suffocated? How do you feel about the two extremes?

They make me appreciate denominations! :yes

 

[Jesusfreak97]

I personally like the louder less formal worship style

 

[handy]

What better thing to get focused on God than a richly anointed time of sharing around the Word of God? It really is the secret to getting our spirits primed for fellowship with God and each other. But the pump's prime will fail if the flow gets interrupted, either by chaos within the meeting or breaking up the meeting and trying to resume it laterk, breaking up the various parts of meeting together into distinct time and space slots.

Well, Jethro, you and I have had some discussions about this previously....

I still find that I am well fed, well equipped and especially well met by the Lord in our assemblies, where there is time to share and learn from each other in the Word, but also time to worship God in psalm, song and hymn, prayer, hearing the preaching of God's anointed and in communion. :yes

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Well, Jethro, you and I have had some discussions about this previously....

I still find that I am well fed, well equipped and especially well met by the Lord in our assemblies, where there is time to share and learn from each other in the Word, but also time to worship God in psalm, song and hymn, prayer, hearing the preaching of God's anointed and in communion. :yes

And I have no reason to think this is not true for you.

What I'm saying is I have known many people over the years who gauge the value of their worship style/ meeting together by whether or not it salves their conscience about it rather than whether or not it actually meets genuine spiritual needs. I'm not even remotely suggesting you are one of those so don't take offense.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

They make me appreciate denominations! :yes

I agree. Denominations are still useful in knowing to what extreme they most likely worship at. But that is getting less and less reliable as the 'loud and loose' philosophy of gathering creeps into the more rigid denoms.

 

[reba]

I personally like the louder less formal worship style

KIDS :guitar I was never a kid who liked loud music! 2 I was akid when Elvis was king.

I happen to like both extremes and the middle.

 

[Jman96]

I happen to like both extremes and the middle.

So.. Extremely amazing, average, and extremely boring??

 

[Mike]

Thanks for all the responses.

To be clear, when I said I see neither style as wrong, I was talking about the casual dress and laid-back approach. I've spent my life in churches that have a different culture than this. I've heard the question asked, "If you had an invitation to a meeting with the President, how would you dress? How would you behave?". Most of us have heard this, and the point is clear. Why, then, not for the Lord? That's just my personal attitude toward dress and decorum at church.

A lot has settled on my heart since yesterday, and I believe I was Led to this church so I could realize what I love about the LCMS. In spite of my personal issues with my church, I have been reminded that this denomination is the right fit for me. I have some doctrinal differences, but I don't think I need to agree with everything to belong. Personally, I couldn't belong to a church, be equipped to go out into the battlefield, by using my worship time to enjoy a rock concert with an equal approach to believers and un-believers. We may end up in a different church, but it will probably be another LCMS church if we do.

So, for those of you who are lifted by this style, rock on! And wear your t-shirt and ripped jeans. I'll go where I'm Led, and you do the same.

 

[Jesusfreak97]

Honestly the more formal worship style for me it doesn't keep my attention. Me and my parents go to two different churches. They go to an uber-conservative Catholic church and I go to a big loud informal mega church. So I have seen both. I have also been to the kind- of in-between because I used to go to a Lutheran school that wasn't formal but not casual. Honestly they are all good and they are all praising God.

For me I can relate to the loud informal ones better because I feel like I can connect with the music better. I'm not just standing there with a hymnal trying to reach the insanely high notes the cantor is singing so I just kinda mumble along. At my mega church they have the words on the screen and it's not like rock it's worship. My favorite is "and if our God is for us then who can stand against" so we are worshiping. Anyway back to my point. The band is up there singing and everyone else is singing and it's loud enough I feel comfortable singing with my terrible voice. I also find it easier to get in to a spirit of worship because I feel more involved in the song (I sit next to a lady named Cathy and we sometime dance a little when the REALLY fast ones come on).

As for the sermons. I really want to learn when I go to church so I like longer sermons that teach. So that's my schpiel. I love my church. <3

 

[Danus]

Have you ever experienced such a difference? Have you gone to a church like mine and felt suffocated? How do you feel about the two extremes?

you know what I'm going to say, but I think it's cool that you visited another church.

I prefer the come as you are thing. To me it represents something important to my relationship with God, and that is that he loves me and accepts me as I am.

The message God had for me when we met was; "Sure there are things to work on, but for now I meet you where you are as you are because I love you."

It's like when we speak to our children and rather than looking down to them in an opposing manner, we get down to their level and speak to them, perhaps even get down to where we are looking up at them.

I can get behind the idea of honoring God, but to me, the idea of looking good in our best dressed is somewhat dishonoring in that I feel like a phony poser of goodness in a suit at church.

If I don't need to wear a suit to pray and commune with God, then why do I need to ware it at church? I won't have anything to put on when I meet him face to face will I? Would there be anything I could present that would make me appear any more worthy at that time?

We are already naked to God. Now, I won't be attending a church that casual, but I appreciate the realness of people through the finery they put on themselves, and how we dress or appear has a lot to do with that I think.

 

[handy]

We are already naked to God. Now, I won't be attending a church that casual...

Ahhhhhhh!



I hear what you're saying Danus... here's my .02 on this perspective...

I'm with God all the time... There is never a time I'm not with Him, when I'm alone, out and about, with other Christians...

But, just like there are times when the family goes a little more formal, there are also times when I go a little more formal with God.

(Keep in mind that for me, "Formal" is wearing the dark wash blue jeans and shoes instead of sneakers...)

I'm thinking of things like Christmas Dinner, Thanksgiving or when we have a special guest over. I prepare for events like these. I get the house extra special clean, I make a special meal. We get out the good china and put a table cloth on the table, use the matching napkins instead of paper ones.

Hey, Danus, I'd do all of this if your family were heading through Idaho and were able to stop by and visit us!

It's not that we are trying to impress anyone with this...usually for Thanksgiving, the only ones around are Steve's folks and my mom... all of whom has seen my dusty, cluttered home and our torn jeans and toes.

It's the occasion itself that is special...ergo the preparations that go into it.

I view Sunday am worship as a special time like this. I've been to assemblies wearing a swimsuit with a sundress thrown over it (when I was much younger, in much better shape and spent a lot of time with the other youth at the pool)... I've been to assemblies wearing shorts and t's...

But, in most of the churches I've ever been to, Sunday am worship is a little different... it's a little more formal and the time when the emphasis is focused far more on God, standing before Him in prayer, singing His praises and hymns, hearing His word and having communion.

So, my preparation for Sunday am worship is a bit different than other times... I do put on the "good" jeans... no toes... and generally fast before going.

Not saying anyone else has to do this, or have this same attitude... but it's my perspective on what you're getting at here.

 

[Danus]

I wear my best flip-flops on Easter, and my Tommy Bahama.

I grew up in a dress your best Sundays type of tradition, and I do have to say that there is something reverent about it. There are times when dressing up is very appropriate.

I think our culture today has a lot to do with it. Churches try to accommodate more today than they used to. Even offices are dressing down. Heck I wear shorts all the time in the summer, but mostly jeans unless I have to see a client customer or something.

 

[reba]

Beings Mike has come to a resolve .....

This lady had never missed a Sunday service. She was the dress up type and privitly looked down on those who were casual. Why do i know this? Well they had gone on vacation , a camping trip. Their car broke down leaving them in a small town in the middle of nowhere.... She did not want to miss a Sunday but all she had was camping clothes.... So off to church they went.... Completely welcomed camping mess and all..... She remained the dress up type but God fix her heart...

When i go to church casual is my choice.... Slipping into Bible study some times in work clothes. I might be painting the house and yikes it is 5 after 6 take off for Bible study....

Having lived in churches. Bedrooms doubling as Sunday School rooms...fellowship hall was the living room etc..... I never had a reverence for the building. Sunday morning was a time to show reverence for the service. Mom could most often, control 4 kids with just a pssst. This one had a few trips out back ....
Wednesday nite bible study was laid back... Most often all the kids would be asleep on the floor, with a good ol home made quilt, under the pew in front of mom. I truly miss the family feeling of that little ol church.. I still can hear the sound of Daddy's voice in the poetry of King James....

Back to topic got to remissness once in while



My sister is the dress up type i drive her crazy!

(Keep in mind that for me, "Formal" is wearing the dark wash blue jeans and shoes instead of sneakers...)

I knew i loved you!