(Warning: These are my pet peeves and are not meant to be statements of Biblical truth, nor are they meant to be attacks on any persons or groups that practice these things. This is just me being me)
Worship. I believe church is to be a place of worship, but exactly what worship is has been redefined so many times by so many different people that I find the "worship service" to be anything but that.
The Bible says, "Be still and know that I am God," so while I'm trying to be still before the Lord (as my form of worship) I find it difficult when I'm being told to stand up, raise my hands, clap (or offer a clap offering) not to mention the music that is blaring so loud that every parent on the street where I grew up would have complained about the noise. I can barely hear myself think, so I wonder how I'm supposed to hear the "still small voice of the Lord." Then I find distractions. The same people seem to dance (in the same place in the church to have maximum visibility), twirlers with flags or other kinds of things to twirl, musicians who are doing the rock band thing with contemporary Christian music. This distracts me. I don't want to be distracted when I come to worship. Call me crazy, but I want to focus on Jesus. And what's with these contemporary songs? I know they can be good and should be woven into the fabric of a song service, but is there any possible way of singing the same songs, I mean at least long enough so we can learn them instead of singing a new song every week? And check out those songs first. Unless really moved by the Lord I don't want to repeat the chorus 15 times. I can't help but think I'm not alone in this. Christian comedian Ron Peason talks about our worship songs this way. He says he likes to sing songs that have meaning, like, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see." I agree with him. He goes on to point to a contemporary "worship" song that goes, "Our God reigns. Our God reigns. Our God reigns. Our God reigns. Our God reigns." He says, "It sounds like it was written by some 8th grade cheerleaders. Some of us old folks would like to sit down after standing for 2o minutes babbling the same words. (Remember, this is just opinion, my pet peeves. If you can't handle it read something else, because I'm just blowing off steam.)
The other thing that really gets me is these new Bible translations. Don't get me wrong, I think having something in contemporary English can be a real plus. But did you ever go to a church where the congregation was asked to read out loud with everyone else the passage of Scripture that the pastor or evangelist or whoever will be using from their text. A few of us are reading in the King James, several others in the New King James, a larger portion are reading from the New International Version, a couple from the New American Bible, and then there is this huge group reading from "The Message", which is basically an upgrade from "The Word". It isn't even a translation, but a paraphrase. So you have all these people "reading together" and no one can understand what the other is saying. Isn't that a bit confusing for the visitor?
When I grew up there were basically 2 translations, the King James and the Revised Standard, although my dad also studied the Philips Amplified Version, just like I may study from my Greek/English interlinear New Testament. But for reading out loud you really need to get everyone on the same, ahem, page, so to speak. For me it was the King James Version. We were encouraged to learn and memorize Scripture, by both my parents and the various teachers at church, all in the King James Version. Now I hear them quoting one of the verses I've memorized and ask, "Where is that in the Bible?" Read and study whatever version you are comfortable with at home, but please, for the sake of us old people who have learned the King James, read from the King James, or if that doesn't suit you, flash the version up on a screen or something so everyone can read from the same script. Otherwise, in my opinion, all you have is confusion.
Well, that's it for now. You go have a marvelous day in the Lord. As I said, I was only venting, these aren't doctrinal points you need to worry about. (Of course maybe you might want to give some of the things a little consideration, but that's up to you.) - David
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