Two weeks ago (the last time we were at the assembly at which we currently worship) we walked into the auditorium to hear, very loud, some female CCM singer’s recording blaring. I couldn’t understand what her virtual screaming was about, but I can tell you it is totally inappropriate for churches to do this!! For the next 20 minutes, until the service began, my wife and I wore earplugs (she keeps them in her purse because this assembly continues to have their band microphoned totally unnecessarily) and people were practically yelling at each other in conversation. It is unconscionable that any pastor or music leader would subject their congregation to this. But this is the second time we’ve encountered such nonsense since we began attending in early 2015 (but we’ve missed many Sundays, so who knows….?)
Today one of the songs we sang (new to me) was certainly not designed for congregational singing, due to the difficult tune and the bridges for the band. While the lyrics were okay, it was definitely designed for performing, and therefore should not have been used, let alone with the loud band.
Another song, new to this assembly (because the song leader sang the first verse first for us to learn it) was another performance song, albeit with an easier tune.
Church leaders are driving away older members of their congregations while appealing to the younger generation who have been raised with loud music (and most of them are becoming hard-of-hearing). This is so very wrong. If anyone in your assembly needs ear plugs, then your are WRONG in what you are doing.
Too much of a spectator mentality has entered the assembly. Many modern songs promote the band and song leader while the singing in the assembly is either drowned out, or that many don’t even know the songs. Then when there is “special music” with soloists or small groups (and sometimes even the choirs) the “audience” applauds them when they finish, as if they were there for a concert performance. This applauding nonsense often takes place in our assembly when the pianist plays for the offertory. Does she play well? Certainly, but she was not playing to entertain!
The spectator mentality entered the Church through the seeker-sensitive and market-driven ideology which has betrayed Christ by focusing on non-believers. Many new buildings are constructed with the auditorium resembling a concert hall, with stadium seating, huge stages, massive amounts of stage lighting, etc. This is a horrid ideology!
Whereas the leadership and overall teaching at this assembly is good, we have begun to attend only every other week due to the volume and caliber of the music. If things don’t change (and I have complained about the volume, obviously to no avail, and the last time they had the canned music for pre-service I commented about it to the music leader, who laughed me off), we may have to start an impossible search for a solid, non-legalistic, fundamental assembly out of town (already searched in town).
Pastors and “worship” leaders: is this really what you want your assembly known for? Is this ideology really worth having members leave?
11 comments:
So sorry to hear you can't find a good church in the area! That's awful.
Our last church was getting sloppy with that. Loud, un-singable, silliness about "clap for God," performance nonsense.
Our pastor says that if you aren't going to clap after a passage of scripture being read, then why do so after someone does something artistically impressive?
Hello Glenn,
So what are you going to do if you cannot find a congregation within your reach that does use biblically sound hymns and behave itself appropriately? I guess that we could separate from the church system altogether and start some house churches.
Additionally, I don't like how so many of these so-called modern "Christian" churches require that one sign various membership forms in order to be baptized, partake of communion, receive spiritual counseling, etc. etc. etc...
Indeed, we are living in an age of apostasy.
Neil,
Good analogy for clapping: Scripture vs "art." Makes a great point.
Jesse,
The church we've been attending the weeks we aren't at our normal assembly looks more and more like it will become home, but we will just tip-toe through TULIPS.
A lot of the time when churches require membership statements to be signed is for legal purposes. When needing to exercise church discipline, churches have been sued. When members agree to come under the authority of the leadership, then legally they have no right to sue.
Hi Glenn,
I was going to ask if you were visiting another church. You had mentioned a PCA, but that you'd just "tip toe through the TULIPS" if you decide to stay there. It is a shame that so many "solid doctrine on paper", Bible believing churches are dishonoring the Lord and driving saints out with loud music. Or disobedience. Or false doctrine. Or legalism.
I'm with Jesse. It's a sign of the age of apostasy.
Church membership covenants are not found in Scripture. The NT contains everything we need for church doctrine and polity. It's amazing, but God can and does run His church perfectly according to His word alone. If we follow His word, we will have church as He intended.
Also, far more important than congregant submission - leaders must have integrity in both doctrine and practice. Their authority ENDS where their adherence to the written word ends, both in doctrine and practice. We are never required by God to submit to unbiblical teaching, unscriptural decisions, or to submit when leaders lord it over (which we have seen). That's what the Bible teaches. And it is sufficient. No signed paperwork required.
Home churches are perfectly acceptable, as long as they adhere to His word.
Another thought, and perhaps why all this legal paperwork supposedly "has to exist" in today's institutional church: the NT also does not tell us to "invite unbelievers into church". But we do that, in total disobedience to the word. So every time we gather for worship, we try to fill the house of God with those who are unconverted who don't know and cannot worship Him. Then instead of feeding the sheep, we try to keep the unsaved in church by entertainment and other goodies. We don't bother with solid meat of the word, but with whatever "works" just to keep the unsaved around. Then we try get these people "involved", busy in programs, so they - and we - think they are saved. But in reality we have unbelievers in a works program, professing but not possessing. And we wonder why weekly worship is such a mess.
And yes, we've personally witnessed unbelievers baptized and accepted into formal membership in many churches. Even discerning from their baptism testimony that they were not converted, while the senior pastor tries to "correct" their testimony mid-baptism and baptizes them anyhow. Yes we have seen that!!! In a church with a solid doctrine statement. More than once!
We have also seen leadership go astray in teaching and practice, and stonewall against any discerning brethren who object. And these saints who have to leave an assembly due to false teaching or practice, after giving them our hearts, our time, our talents, and our money (all ultimately form the Lord, obviously), end up losing it all, while the institution continues on like nothing happened. That is, until God sees fit to tear down the leaders. Do all these "membership covenants" help the saints? No. In fact, they are often MISused by leaders to try to force discerning believers to submit to wrongs, and then "discipline" you when you won't bow to error.
Dismounting soapbox. For now.
-Carolyn
PS: Since these "church membership covenants" are actually LEGAL contracts, written for legal purposes, and that are legally enforceable, any believer who chooses to sign one SHOULD have it reviewed first by their own personal lawyer, to they understand in plain english exactly what they are signing. That is wisdom.
If you've bought or sold a house, written a will, set up a power of attorney, planned end-of-life paperwork like living wills, etc, you've know and have worked with a lawyer that handles such things.
As for applauding or not applauding. I "amen" for the word when it is preached. I also "amen" for the word when it is sung or played as an instrumental.
-Carolyn
Carolyn,
From what I've learned about the membership "covenant" in regards to putting oneself under church discipline, they church isn't looking for it to be legally enforceable, rather they are just protecting themselves from lawsuits. For example, one church decided to discipline a woman in adultery by following Matthew 18, and finally excommunicated her. She sued for defamation of character. The judge ruled that she had put herself voluntarily under the church for discipline and there for had no legal standing to sue.
The church we left had membership "contracts" like that. Also, only members could vote or teach. When they were still a good assembly, we witnessed two different adultery cases handled biblically, but the other thing is that only members could attend disciplinary meetings. So there was protection in that regard.
The church we attend now has some questionable "covenantal" language which I don't cotton to so we will never be members even if they cleaned up their music act.
What do you mean by "questionable covenantal language"?
Jesse,
Well, it's not just saying you agree to be a member and put yourself under the authority of the elders for discipline, counseling, etc, rather it's also covenanting with THAT church and THOSE people, and promising if moving to another town you will seek a covenant relationship with a similar church there. Without specifically citing it (I don't have a copy) it's sort of difficult to explain. The language seems to imply more of a "binding" relationship with that assembly.
Glenn,
I have heard of "membership covenants" that require specific giving/tithing, submission to elders in areas where they do not have authority, and yes, like you, promises of what type/denomination of church you will attend if you leave their church, and more. All of this - actually any of this - is unheard of in the NT.
So a church wants to be protected against a lawsuit because of a disgruntled person not liking church discipline?
What about the poor believers whose characters have been defamed by improper/abusive "church discipline" that was exacted by sinning leaders? We've seen this happen, and what these believers do is leave that church, suffering, often alone, while the church carries on like nothing happened. These people don't sue, they simply endure the suffering (1 Peter 3:14-17) and trust in Christ. And God brings righteous resolution in His time.
-Carolyn
Carolyn,
Yep, church covenants can run the gamut. And church discipline can run the gamut, depending on how true to the Word or how legalistic the assemblies can be.
I've commented about this before, about my sound-sensitive boys. I don't know how many times I've had to help them out of a sanctuary and into the foyer because of the volume. If a 7-year old is holding his hands to his ears, the music is too loud.
So it's not just the older generation who are being affected.
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