tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26528625.post620963059198802856..comments2023-09-04T08:02:28.897-05:00Comments on Sandwiches There: Church Services: Who Are They For?Ryan Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03684042101455314865noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26528625.post-4236119553178615212007-07-23T12:40:00.000-05:002007-07-23T12:40:00.000-05:00Wow, you've been cranking high speed on your blog!...Wow, you've been cranking high speed on your blog! I like the new layout and organization.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, here's my only slightly educated opinion to throw into the mix of way more intelligent thoughts: I think church has definitely got to be God-centered, because all of our lives and everything we ever do should be God-centered and not people-centered. Even ministry to people for their benefit must be God-centered or we'll wind up burned out and hating the world soon enough.<BR/><BR/>I think, though, that this may not change so much what we do in a church service but more how we do it.godwatcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09840215217082234078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26528625.post-69953616269055209202007-07-20T03:02:00.000-05:002007-07-20T03:02:00.000-05:00I have often wondered myself why we gather like we...I have often wondered myself why we gather like we do. It could be for us to get together as Christians, but then again we could do that anywhere. And it could be for evangelism, but often church services can be counter productive in that area because they substitute for other elements of evangelism that may be more essential. Frankly, I am often bored in church and would rather be at home reading a book.<BR/><BR/>But I like your thoughts on worship. To add a thought, whatever worship means, it must be more than singing several songs. That can also get really meaningless.<BR/><BR/>Maybe the answer to the preaching dilemna is to place the preaching early and the rest of the worship can follow in response. Most churches have preaching last.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26528625.post-59551424964800286432007-07-19T15:50:00.000-05:002007-07-19T15:50:00.000-05:00Hi Jason. I am just sorting through these ideas f...Hi Jason. I am just sorting through these ideas for the first time, so I am not entirely sure I am consistent yet. Thank you for your comment to help me work through it.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps a more appropriate way to say what I am trying to say is that preaching should be an act of worship, where the preacher places himself with the people and asks how best "we" can respond. This is opposed to the way I used to preach, where I considered an act of discipling or teaching, and I placed myself above the people by asking what "they" need. There is a time and a place for teaching, but I do not think church services are that place.<BR/><BR/>A lot of this is coming from my meditation on what being a pastor is all about, and what caused me to be so frustrated when I was pastoring. I hope to go back to pastoral ministry once I get my M.Div., so in the meantime I want to get as much of this sorted out as I can.<BR/><BR/>RyanRyan Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03684042101455314865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26528625.post-65133853055234451212007-07-18T15:05:00.000-05:002007-07-18T15:05:00.000-05:00I was just popping in, reading for the first time....I was just popping in, reading for the first time. I enjoyed your thoughtful post, but thought I'd comment on this statement.<BR/><BR/><I>"The preacher's purpose, then, is not to minister to the congregation, but to facilitate ways for the congregation to respond appropriately to the scriptures."</I><BR/><BR/>I appreciate the sentiment of this idea (and the God-centered desire behind it), but it appears to create a false dilemma. It almost assumes that ministering to a congregation and leading a congregation to respond appropriately to the scriptures are mutually exclusive - as if to say you can't have them both. <BR/><BR/>But doesn't the latter entail the former? If one does respond appropriately to the Scriptures, has that person not then been ministered too? Is it not the Scriptures (and our response to them) what ministers to our hearts the most?<BR/><BR/>It seems to me that the very things that honor God the most also benefit and minister to humanity the most. As Piper says, "God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com