I have been going to church all my life. Growing up in the South in the 1960’s, we went to church for many reasons. Not the least of which was social. I met my first steady girl friend at church. When Evelyn and I first met
we were at church and on our first date we went to a Baptist revival service. I have also had an ecumenical experience in worship. The Strickland side of my family mostly attended the Congregational Holiness Church while my mother’s folks all went to Baptist churches of one sort or another. As a result, I grew up with an appreciation for Southern Gospel music and Sacred Harp singing. I experienced people being “slain” in the Spirit and I have watched those long altar calls and stood fidgeting around while sinners “prayed through” to receive God’s salvation. Some of those folk must have been powerful bad sinners because those old time altar calls could sometimes last an hour or more.

As a young adult I was introduced to the United Methodist Church and to the hymns and liturgy of the Methodist tradition. It is in that style of worship that I encounter God most intimately. The creeds of the Church have
become very important to me. Every Sunday I get to say just what I believe and I hear my brothers and sister in the faith declare emphatically, “I believe in God. . .”

In worship the atmosphere is filled with reminders of the Holy and divine. The sights and sounds are different from any other place. Banners, the cross, the table of Holy Communion, candles glowing reminding me of the
presence of God. At Antioch United Methodist Church the sanctuary is adorned with emblems of the sacred. Our altar is an altar and does not double as steps. The chancel is a place where Scripture is read, prayers are offered, and sermons are preached. It is not a stage where anyone performs.

Recently, while away from Antioch UMC, I visited in a church to worship. What I expected to be the Narthex looked very much like a theater lobby complete with a concession bar with coffee and food. If the sign out front had not boldly declared this was a church I would have thought I was in a concert hall or some arena. When the show (can’t call it worship) started a band that could have headlined in any pub played tunes I have never heard before. No hymns were sung, no creeds or any opportunity for us to declare what we believe.  The sermon sounded like a self help talk with a little standup comic material thrown in for laughter.

The place was packed, so obviously this style seemed to be meeting some felt needs of many people. I am not against these good folk and I don’t have any argument against them. I do have a difficult time trying to worship in this setting.

I believe that the Church should be counter cultural. The sacred is different from the profane. Personally, I think worship should not look or sound like anything else. The sanctuary should be different from a theater and
there should never, never be performers but worship leaders. Our worship can be relevant and can help to order the lives of believers without becoming so secular one has to look at the sign to know if it is church or the Apollo.


That’s what I think.


Randy

Randy’s Ramblings


November 2011


I was asked the other day to give one thing that excited me about
being a Christian Believer. Of all the things I could have said, I responded
with the first thought that hit me; “The fun you get to have going to church,” I
said. And then I thought how trivial that sounded when I could have talked about
the joy of forgiveness, the hope of everlasting life, the blessings of answered
prayer, or any number of other deeper and more thoughtful things I could have
said about the exciting life we have as Christian believers.


I suppose I responded in the way I did because I really do have
fun going to church, especially at Antioch. We just hosted two of the most laugh
filled and truly fun events in the Fifth Quarter Party and our Trunk O Treat
night. I laughed so much and enjoyed the company of my Antioch family in such a
wonderful way at those events. Then there are Family Night Suppers and playing
kick ball with the Acolytes after our devotional and training time. Soon Donna
will pull out the hand bells and even though I’m all full of nerves when we play
in worship, I get such a kick out of learning how to play. I get to stand
between Joe and Ella and I’m chuckling inside as Joe counts the beat in my left
ear while Ella nudges my right side when it’s time for me to
ring.


Sunday morning in worship at Antioch has and always will be the
highlight of my week but there are so many other times that we have to be
  together. Times we can laugh and eat and share in conversation and just be
together in one place. These are the times that we really become church to one
another. As we enter these last two months of 2011 there are so many times
planned for us to gather and I hope you will not miss any of them. Please plan
to join us for the Veteran’s Day covered dish lunch to honor those who have and
those who are currently serving our nation. The Craft Show and Sale is coming up
soon. This is an event you will not want to miss. Of course, as Advent and
Christmas approach there will be many opportunities for gathering, for worship,
and for serving our community. It will be fun.


Reflecting on my quick response that the fun of going to church
is what excites me about being a Christian believer, I am now convinced it is
the right response for me. I look forward to every opportunity to be with each
of you. Hope to see you on more than Sundays.


 


Randy