02 Jun 05
It's, like, so boring. When they didn't let me play my guitar on stage, I used to sit through the whole two hour service trying to write Beatles lyrics from memory. My Youth Pastor actually came to have a chat with me once because he was afraid I was straying off the path of righteousness for the sake of rock n' roll (little did he know I was already dropping acid by then... hehe). I would write the lyrics to "I Am The Walrus" across the church bulletin and draw ink impressions of Lennon then I would purposely leave the bulletin on the seat so that the Youth Pastor could see what I was doing as he almost always kept tabs on us using such underhanded methods.
The worship songs were sooooo damn repetitive. Verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus-chorus-chorus-and so on until the Holy Spirit himself came for a visit.
The sermons. God, the sermons. Like torture. The days Pastor Paul was feeling really sanctimonious he would lash out on all of us and smile smugly as he put on his preaching face. They have that, ya know. A preaching face.
I could go on for hours.
There's really no obvious debate here, I'm just bored and thought I would write to all you pretty atheists and Christians. Okay. So, I would just like to know what the rest of you hate about church. Who wants to go first?
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02 Jun 05
Originally posted by darvlayI hate 'playing' church.
It's, like, so boring. When they didn't let me play my guitar on stage, I used to sit through the whole two hour service trying to write Beatles lyrics from memory. My Youth Pastor actually came to have a chat with me once because he was afraid I was straying off the path of righteousness for the sake of rock n' roll (little did he know I was already dr ...[text shortened]... . So, I would just like to know what the rest of you hate about church. Who wants to go first?
02 Jun 05
Originally posted by dj2beckerThis is actually a good answer...
I hate 'playing' church.
What do you do when you sense that one of your Christian friends is just 'playing' church? Do you confront them like my Youth Pastor used to do with me? I ask because he had quite a hand in driving me away from my church (not the belief bu the congregation) with his confrontational style. If you do act as such, perhaps next time you should reconsider.
02 Jun 05
Originally posted by darvlayThis is a good topic, Darvlay. Could you describe what you would like church to look like or a youth pastor to be like?
It's, like, so boring. When they didn't let me play my guitar on stage, I used to sit through the whole two hour service trying to write Beatles lyrics from memory. My Youth Pastor actually came to have a chat with me once because he was afraid I was straying off the path of righteousness for the sake of rock n' roll (little did he know I was already dr ...[text shortened]... . So, I would just like to know what the rest of you hate about church. Who wants to go first?
02 Jun 05
Originally posted by kirksey957I would have liked my Youth Pastor to be someone who was more like a Big Brother and not like a Big Father. Someone who gently nudges you in the right way, gives you lessons through life experiences and is able to teach without judging or using fear/guilt. There are, no doubt, plenty of Pastors out there who I am sure are great. But mine was more like an ogre who used guilt at every opportunity he could. Plus he was way too competitive that you couldn't have any fun when you played sports with him. X)
This is a good topic, Darvlay. Could you describe what you would like church to look like or a youth pastor to be like?
I don't really understand your first question. I don't care what a church looks like.
02 Jun 05
Originally posted by darvlayI wasn't so much interested in what it looked like as what would attract you to it in terms of music, message, etc.
I would have liked my Youth Pastor to be someone who was more like a Big Brother and not like a Big Father. Someone who gently nudges you in the right way, gives you lessons through life experiences and is able to teach without judging or using fear/guilt. There are, no doubt, plenty of Pastors out there who I am sure are great. But mine was more like an ...[text shortened]...
I don't really understand your first question. I don't care what a church looks like.
One thing I have felt very strongly about for a long time is that if someone is in a position to lead a group of people and be in a role of helping them to understand God and one another, this person needs to be in an accountable relationship where someone is helping him with self-awareness and insight. But ministers who seek out spiritual direction or therapy are rare. One cannot be suprised at the negativity you feel when you encountered what you did in church.
03 Jun 05
Originally posted by darvlayI’ve been in churches like that, but never a member of one. Well, growing up, the services could be a bit dark, but when the Lutherans switched from the “red book” to the “green book” (only Lutherans will understand), the music of the liturgy got a lot more upbeat and actually was fun to sing (“All women will dance for joy, and men young and old will make merry…!” ).
It's, like, so boring. When they didn't let me play my guitar on stage, I used to sit through the whole two hour service trying to write Beatles lyrics from memory. My Youth Pastor actually came to have a chat with me once because he was afraid I was straying off the path of righteousness for the sake of rock n' roll (little did he know I was already dr ...[text shortened]... . So, I would just like to know what the rest of you hate about church. Who wants to go first?
I got to really like “high church” as an Anglican (Episcopalian)—bells and smells, baby! I remember two things from my first high-liturgy experience. The first was this Bishop who went about dashing what was apparently Episcopalian holy water (I think maybe they just “boil the ‘ell out of it” ) on anyone and everyone with this wicked gleam in his eye and grin on his face. It made me recall something a Lutheran sem professor once said before a service—which was accompanied by trumpets and french horns (my GD! Trumpets!): he said, “We are here to have, in the full sense of the words, holy fun!”
The second thing I really remember about that first high-church experience was during the recessional. This teenage young woman was the “thurifer” (the one that carries and swings the censer). She was swinging that thing away, sending out clouds of incense, and all of a sudden she just whirled it around in a complete loop-da-loop! I could hear some of the more “proper (?)” adults gasp. She didn’t bat an eye—just did it again. Wonderful!
03 Jun 05
Originally posted by vistesdWow!! such fun , I bet you were estatic lol
I’ve been in churches like that, but never a member of one. Well, growing up, the services could be a bit dark, but when the Lutherans switched from the “red book” to the “green book” (only Lutherans will understand), the music of the liturgy got a lot more upbeat and actually was fun to sing (“All women will dance for joy, and men young and old will make m ...[text shortened]... of the more “proper (?)” adults gasp. She didn’t bat an eye—just did it again. Wonderful!
03 Jun 05
1 edit
Originally posted by darvlayI did not become a Christian until I was 25 years old, only stepped
This is actually a good answer...
What do you do when you sense that one of your Christian friends is just 'playing' church? Do you confront them like my Youth Pastor used to do with me? I ask because he had quite a hand in driving m ...[text shortened]... . If you do act as such, perhaps next time you should reconsider.
into a church maybe 3 times before I became a Christian. The first
year I was saved I didn't go to church, but attended home Bible
studies maybe 3 times a week, where no one was playing church. I
love church, I love the worship, it isn't a game as far as I'm concern
when I go. If there are fakes and you can spot them, have you met
anyone who was not playing church but had something real?
Kelly
