Church

Wit and Wisdom for the Aged has blogged several times about silence in church. I think that the church experience, as a whole, has changed over the past 50 years. I also think every person has their own individual idea on how the experience in church should be. As I was growing up in Nebraska, church seemed very structured and Holy. As I recall there was a nursery/children’s room, in the balcony, where parents with small antsy children or babies, could watch and enjoy the service behind glass. The little kids could play and the babies could cry without disrupting the service. You had the traditional service with traditional songs and every thing seemed very reverent. Once a month, you always went to the communion rail and knelt for the Sacraments, given by the ordained Pastors. Communion was treated very special. “Gosh darn” was exactly like taking the Lords name in vain, according to the Pastors wife. The adult and children’s choir always wore robes. Everyone dressed up for church….suits, ties, and dresses. You didn’t have services on Saturday evening for the convenience of the members. Sunday was the day for worship and a day of rest. This was God’s house and you respected it! That didn’t change for years.
When I was in High School and we were going to a different church, the tradition seemed to change a little. You still wore suits and ties but there were some who were a little more casual. The choirs still wore robes, still went to the rail for the Sacraments…..but it was a little nosier…..it seemed more of a social gathering than visiting “God’s house”. I remember going to a Catholic church several times and thinking…….Wow....this place really feels special! The genuflecting, making the sign of the cross, the incense, the Latin readings, the hugeness and old architecture of the building, the ceremony…..you really felt you were in a very special place. I didn’t get the same feeling when I went into my church. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked my church and was involved with many of the youth activities. I’m talking about inner feelings.
I don’t know why it has changed but today it sure has. Today we have 3 different types of services...Contemporary...Traditional.....Less traditional. Why do we need three different ones? Depending on the service, the Lord's Prayer is even different. Try saying the one you have known for years when everyone else is saying it different. Every service, where I am a member, Communion is administered by the Pastor and lay people, some which are very young with little or no training. (The members who administer the Sacraments to “Shut-Ins” do have the training.) You go to the railing once a month. The other times it’s “drive by”, walking up to the front, stay standing, you are given the Sacraments and then walk back to your pew. You sing songs that you don’t know, never heard of, can’t follow the beat…..so you don’t sing….just read the words to yourself. In the old days you’d practice new songs before the service so you knew how to sing them. Our Choir only wears Robes for special occasions like Christmas and Easter time. All other times they just dress casual. Our members wear shorts, flip flops, cut offs, blue jeans, T-shirts, nice casual cloths and the older folks still wear suits, ties and dresses(very few). During the Saturday night service the Pastor doesn’t even wear a robe and the service is shorter. Kids are playing and babies are crying during the services. Occasionally parents will take them outside but not often enough. Do I like my church? It is super! I don’t remember another church that has made me feel more welcome and special. I also know that has a lot to do with me wanting a closeness with a church, a wanting to participate in the activities and be an active member. Do I miss the feelings I had years ago? Absolutely! Would I like to see some things change? Yes. Should I work for some of the changes that I like even thought others think differently? For sure! But, as my Dad always said “Go with the Flow”. After hearing about the problems of other congregations, there is nowhere I’d rather be, than at my little church!