What can I say? I'm just back from church - church, Jim, but not as we know it. Williamsburg Community Chapel, aiming to meet people where they are on their journey. For a start, we attended the second of three services - and as we sat in for the beginning of the third service, I know that at least two of them were packed. And for seconds, there were about twice as many people in the choir as we ever see in church at the one time, and a praise band, and a pianist, and tapes (full orchestra), and a PA system worthy of a concert hall ......
And as you can see from my snatched phone-pic, there were shoals of young people - the large young man in front of me was a rugby player, from his jersey. And apparently there was another hall upstairs full of crowds of really young, all rocking away to a band in their own service. The band we heard had both our friends playing in it - they're great.
The sermon was long enough to cover the sermon slot in Holy T and go on through the entire celebration of the Eucharist. And then the service ended. Maybe I've been away from the Kirk for too long, but my brain can't cope any more with 30 minute sermons - maybe it never could. And I missed the sacrament of communion - I couldn't be doing with nothing but praise and teaching.
But it'd be good to know the secret of the pulling power of a church like this.
It's a curious phenomenon. The biggest and fastest growing churches all ditch the sacraments in favour of long sermons and repetitive songs. Yet to most committed Anglicans, to skip communion leaves an aching void. Do you suppose that's the trick? Leave people longing for more, and they come flocking back?
ReplyDeleteHI, It's Marcia,Christine's friend in Virginia. It's our church she was making comments about and I read your interesting response. It's curious for sure.. Our son and wife now attend the Epsicopal church in Harrisonburg, VA and they love it because they DO have communion every week and our son (raised mostly in Baptist churches, and other contemporary/fundamental churches) has missed having the liturgy all these years and seems to have found his nitch! We are happy for them ( he's married to a sweet gal who feels the same way about this church).
ReplyDeleteTHey meet in a school... Randy plays the drums on the worship team, does the 'sound' and I think it's not exactly like Holy Trinity!
Anyway, I think our songs speak well to people and we don't do very many ( 3 in all) and have to keep them short. I don't like the long, repetitive ones either. We just like to encourage 'worship' in our congregation.. bringing them closer to the Lord in the hour that they are there thru music, and then the Word. We do 'blended' worship ( hymns and choruses and also a choir anthem). So we do try to please
all people at all times and hit it once in a while!
Nice talking to you!
Interesting contrast in venues as I add this comment in the Apple Store in NY! Can't mail - but hope this comment will go as directed.....
ReplyDelete