[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 05/Jan/2020]
I grew up in a pretty typical Baptist church of its day. It had a raised pulpit at the front where the robed preacher spoke from, and an organist to the front right, who played quietly in the background till the service started. The atmosphere was hushed and subdued with many people sitting with their heads bowed preparing themselves to meet with God. The ‘uniform’ was suit and tie for the men, and Sunday hats for the women, and children were very much seen and not heard.
How different this is to many of our modern Sunday services, where children are encouraged to participate, and churches are filled with the hubbub of welcoming chatter. But which one is better? Have we become too free and easy, and need a good dose of awe and reverence, or should we make our services more like a cafe where our priority is to welcome the customer? I guess the answer to this question depends on who you think the service is for. Do we aim everything at the unchurched visitor, so that they feel welcomed, comfortable, and understand what is going on. Or do we aim everything at the seasoned church-goer, making the service a place of encouragement and rejuvenation for the mission field.
I think the answer is both. We want to create a Sunday service that feels like home, and where the all are able to easily access the message. However we also recognise that needn’t mean a dumbing down of our services. I remember going to The Gathering with a friend who wasn’t a Christian. That first night we went to the main meeting and found a seat at the back. The service was fun and engaging, but it was during the worship that my friend was reduced to tears. It was through the singing of songs that he was able to make an emotional connection with God for the first time.
I believe the purpose of the Sunday service is to draw people into a place of intimacy with God, believer and unbeliever alike, and if that means poetic liturgy, contemporary music, silence and lattes, then lets go for it! Everything is worth a try when it comes to bringing people to Jesus (1 Cor 9:22-23)! But most importantly, perhaps we need to come to the understanding that the Sunday service isn’t all about ‘me’. Instead it should be aimed at the ‘others’ and it’s to them that we should focus our efforts – perhaps even spending less time praying that ‘I’ will meet with God, instead looking around and praying that ‘they’ will find their time here to be an encounter with the Almighty.
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Contributed by Martin Shorey; © Martin Shorey