By Chuck Lawless
Worship is frequently a controversial topic, and it’s not my goal with this post to add to those debates. I also realize that the focus of worship is God. Any attention we give to the human component of worship might send us in the wrong direction, but that’s not my intent, either. I simply want us to think about aspects of worship over which we have some control – and that we might improve for God’s glory.
Based on my work as a church consultant, reports from our consultation “secret shoppers,” interviews with church members, and my own experiences, here are ten far-too-common distractions during worship services.
- Starting late. Our secret shoppers know to be present in the worship center prior to the publicized starting time and to record what time the service actually begins. A late start may be unavoidable, but too often the tardiness is seemingly due to disorganization and apathy. A late start seldom strengthens an attitude of worship.
- Poor sound and/or video quality. Occasionally this problem unexpectedly happens when the system malfunctions. At other times, it seems clear that either (a) rehearsal never occurred to detect and correct any problems or (b) leaders chose to ignore problems. Either one is unacceptable.
- Excessively loud music. I suspect my age is apparent here, but even some of our young secret shoppers have commented negatively on this issue. Increased volume may be appropriate in some settings, but it does not automatically strengthen worship. Sometimes, worship occurs best in the quiet.
- Incomprehensible choir or praise team words. The lyrics are probably great, but we cannot tell. The sound system may be poor, the singers may not enunciate well, or the music may drown out the words – but we miss the message while straining to understand the words. Simply including the lyrics on a Powerpoint would help.
- Grammatical and/or spelling errors on the screen. Granted, this error should perhaps not be a distraction. Surely, we can overlook an omitted apostrophe or misspelled homonym. On the other hand, God – and worshipers who are often well educated – deserve our best in presentation.
- Poor synchronization of presentation slides. The operator gets caught up in the worship and fails to progress to the next slide. Or, activity in the sound booth becomes itself a distraction for the operator. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to worship in song when the lyrics on the screen are measures behind the worship leader.
- Unclear directions. Worshippers – especially guests or unchurched attenders – do not readily follow everything that takes place in a worship service. Even our best secret shoppers sometimes feel awkward over such questions as: Who is the person speaking (no one introduced him)? Will they recognize guests (and will I be put on the spot)? Am I permitted to partake of the Lord’s Supper (no one explained it)? If the church does not take an offering, how do I give (again, no one guided us)?
- Poor lighting. The problem may simply be weak lighting; that is, uneven lighting in the worship center creates dim sections where reading the Bible is difficult. In some cases, delayed maintenance results in burned out bulbs. In others, a darkened room intentionally creates worship ambience – but also reflects a wrong assumption that all worshipers will be reading the Bible only on the screen.
- Bad preaching. This conclusion is subjective, but nonetheless truthful: worship is challenging when the preaching is boring or disorganized. It’s even more taxing when the sermon covers everything but the Bible.
- Crowd movement. To be fair, I admit that worship should so focus on God that crowd movement is not distracting. In addition, many folks we interview sit toward the back of a worship center, where the movement is likely more noticeable. Nevertheless, folks coming and going from the worship center – especially during times of prayer, reflection, preaching, and response – can be disruptive.
What other worship distractions have you noticed?
Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.
All of these are spot on Mr. Rainer, and I would add one more, excessive announcements during the worship service. It seems that every one involved in anything wants their 3 minutes to talk about it, but when their are so many, a large chunk of your worship service time is wasted. And unfortunately, when some people get the mic, they want to keep going and going and going. There has to be a better way to present church activities (bulletins, posters, postcards) than to take up the only time in which many people contemplate God in their whole week.
I agree, Beth. Seldom have I seen announcements done well.
My apologies Mr. Lawless, I failed to read the byline that credited your authorship.
Just want to say that I facilitated “Putting on the Armor” in a Ladies Bible study class this summer and it was terrific. I came at a very crucial time of spiritual warfare in my own life, so I was able to lead the study and provide the “practical application” at the same time. God bless you in your service to God and His church.
When we started doing video announcements, we started playing them during offering (instead of our usual piano special) saves time, and editing the video keeps rambling from being an issue.
I was having that problem in our congregation, so now any announcements come at the end of the service. The congregation has been more mindful of getting announcements in early so they can be printed and only making verbal announcements when absolutely necessary. Nobody wants to be responsible for holding everyone up.
But isn’t the church a meeting place for fellow believers? Why should we be worried about “holding someone up” It’s as if our purpose is to get people to church, entertain them for an hour and a half and get them out on time. That to me does not represent the New Testament church too accurately. “Church” was more of a meeting time, a time to discuss certain aspects of the ministry, worship together and break bread. This idea that church needs to be 45 minutes of singing and 35 minutes of preaching and then it’s “see you next week” is a fairly new creation.
I was going to suggest “overkill on the announcements” as another worship distraction, but Beth beat me to it. Glad to know other people see this as a problem, too.
I pastor a very small church that was built as just the sanctuary and then had an addition with class rooms and the bathrooms. When I am preaching if someone has to go to the bathroom they either have to go out side and around the building or walk right past me on the platform to get to the back of the church.
High five on the way to bathroom, but not on the way out – just in case.
Hadn’t thought of that one, Brian. Thanks! 🙂
To go along with #1, our church always has people coming in late and squeezing by you to sit down during like the last worship song. So watching them walk in 15 minutes late and then having to move so they can sit down. Its totally OK, I am glad they are there but with me I am SO distracted once that happens. I sit up front to avoid being distracted by watching late people come in.
Good solution, Sarah — sit up front in order to miss the commotion behind.
I’m a big fan of multi-sensory learning. At least that’s my excuse. I have for a long time provided sermon notes with key words left blank so as to be filled in for emphasis. Apparently I’ve been doing this too much, as I got “coached” during a recent leadership meeting. In our community the education level is not high, and the people struggle so much trying to find the magic word and write it in that they miss the points of the message. I repented. No more blanks, or at least very few!
I went to a church that did that same thing. And it worked well as he would display the answers on the screen. So we were able to fill it in for our own emphasis, but were sure to get the “correct” word. 🙂 I personally love doing it that way.
I like this approach, too. Thanks for writing.
Interesting, James. Every congregation is different, isn’t it?
The only problem with printed notes with blanks…when you fill in that last blank all you hear are people shoving their Bibles and notes somewhere. They know the end is near and the disruption of everyone “packing up” to me makes me wonder if the printed notes are of value. My kids love it because they like to follow along and fill in the blanks but man…watch out with that final blank fill in.
Hey Tom. Good reminders. If I may turn the question around too for us to consider … I humbly offer these worship distractions (perhaps) to God:
1. We do not prepare to anticipate an encounter the Almighty. “These people come near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13a)
2. We do not treat God as holy. “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay.” Isaiah 29:16
3. We do not honor God as sovereign. Isaiah 29:16
4. We do not humble ourselves under His Word. Psalm 119:9-10
5. We treat worship as our right rather than as God’s grace through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:3-13; Hebrews 10:19-25
6. We (our preferences) become the focus of worship rather than God. Exodus 20:1-3
7. We are deceived that coming to worship is the same as living as worshippers. Micah 6; Romans 12:1-2
Thanks always for your blog. I really enjoy reading.
This is Chuck Lawless, Rod. I, too, fear we too seldom actually prepare ourselves for worship. Thanks for the thoughts.
People who leave after the sermon but prior to the invitation leave during the prayer.
Agreed, Russ. Thanks.
I think one thing seems to be a glaring omission here, and I am not sure why. Bad preaching was a subjective inclusion at #9, but bad musicality didn’t even make the list? Bad music was spoken of tangentially with #4 and perhaps #2 and #3, but never addressed directly. Typos on the screen (#5) might be a distraction to those who understand language and care enough to give God their best, but a wrong note is just as grating to those who care about giving God their best in music as well.
As the head of the AV ministry in our church, I can tell you that the quality that we are able to put through the system is directly proportional to the quality that gets put in. We can turn the volume down (#2) when the pastor or others in authority tell us to. We can’t fix bad musicianship (well…we can cover over their faults by turning them off so they don’t embarrass themselves and/or function as a distraction).
If three or more of your distractions are going to about the audio of the service, I would think at least one of them would be about the input. It seems the only group that functions in the sanctuary that got a pass was the musicians. Why is that? Ushers (#10, #7), Leaders (#1, #7, #8, #10), Pastors (#1, #9 and in my church #3), AV ministry (#2, #3, #4, #5, #6 and #8). Why does the Music Department get a pass except for clear diction from the choir/vocalists unless there are words on screen?
Thank you for your ministry. AV ministry is hard work.
It’s not an intentional omission, Jonathan. The list is simply those that we most frequently encountered — but I can assure you we agree that bad music is often a distraction. Thanks for your thoughts and your service to your local church.
Kids, Kids, and Kids!!! More distracting than anything on that list. (although probably included in crowd movement.)
A church without children is a church without a future. There is nothing worse than walking into a church without children. It doesn’t matter whether the church is full of grey hairs or whether the church shuttles kids away from the service, it’s a depressing sight to see no children in God’s house.
And it is worse when the children are told to sit through the adult service and given nothing that they can comprehend. Hence, the reason for children’s church.
I would much rather have a few children running around than not any at all.
That is why many churches now have children’s church or family services. I wish when I was growing up there had been such a thing. I am glad for kids today since they can attend a service where they don’t have to be absolutely perfect and with a sermon that is age-appropriate.
That issue is included in the “crowd movement.” Kids bring life to a church, so that’s always a tough issue to navigate.
I grew up in a church where we did have children’s church, but only during the sermon portion of the service. That way, kids could still be in service and experience it, along with learning how to behave in church, but they weren’t there during the message, when any distractions are more easily noticed. That way, also, the parents could focus on the sermon and not have to worry about keeping their kids in line.
Good input, Kristen. Thanks.
I spent a good 25 years outside of the church because my parents were chased off by the dirty looks of the people in their congregation when I was a wailing infant. Lets just say that I make a point of giving the parents of crying children a big smile and encouragement when I come across them during a service these days. 🙂
Thanks, Dallas, for that helpful suggestion.
Christ made it clear about children, didn’t He? A child has not yet learned how to hide displeasure as we adults do so often. In silence we sit, as we should be the ones crying for forgiveness and for Father God’s blessings. The 3 newest families at our church all have young children and are welcomed. They continue to worship even with all of the struggles of arriving at church on time. Those parents are my heroes and inspiration. They love their children so much by living out their faith in Jesus.
Dallas, as a pastor as of a small church, as one who needs to exercise great patience and longsuffering with people, I find that I refuse to tolerate the kind of behavior that looks down upon precious children being in the worship service. How hateful and arrogant to make a young family feel unwelcomed and despised by giving them the stink-eye when a child/baby makes a peep or scooches in his chair. This is a fruit of modern American Evangelicalism; not biblical Christianity. Children were addressed in Paul’s day (Col 3; Eph 6), but we think they’re not qualified to sit next to mom and dad in worship because they don’t sit perfectly still. How sad. I tell my young moms to let me know right away if anyone gives them a hard time for bringing a child into the worship service. I’ll welcome the children because Jesus did. I’ll invite the old, legalistic, ungracious Pharisees to sit there and squirm or leave because, well, … that’s what Jesus did. Keep encouraging those young families! They need help, grace, and encouragement more than anyone.
Thanks, Karl. This has actually been doubly on my mind as of late, as I’m about to become one of those young parents in a couple months.
Funny….there are adults in my church that distract me so much more than the kids do. They stand at the back and continue to visit LOUDLY (the older ones are heard of hearing) after the service starts and through out. Then they visit with others sitting near them. Those who should know better set a pretty poor example for the children.
It’s hard to even leave this comment, as though I could ever improve on anything I’ve ever encountered through this ministry. However, as I’ve settled into ministry and worship at the church in which I serve, one major thing has jumped out at me with regard to worship distraction: Lack of Clarity Regarding What to Expect from the Outset. So many churches, ours included (though we are seeking ways to remedy the disparity,) are unaware of the gap that exists between what members know to expect and what guests are left to assume. Without intimating that a dress code exists (Lord forbid it,) provide clarity on: “What sort of dress are you likely to see?” From what sorts of elements the guest will encounter, to what styles of worship are utilized, guests will enter the worship circle able to focus on the blessing that is worship instead of being required to do an exploratory, and hasty, inventory of what they are experiencing. Imago Dei, of Raleigh, and its leadership do an exemplary job at this. Visit the link for a look at their efforts. ( http://idcraleigh.com/im-new/#whattoexpect )
Good thoughts, Patrick — especially about helping to avoid the “exploratory inventory.” Thanks.
Dead spots that don’t make sense… Pray-ers who are not heard because they don’t have a microphone… Ushers coming to receive the offering too soon or too late…
Thanks for the additions, David.
Distractions for me as Pastor include: people coming into worship unprepared or late and being noisy distracting those who are trying to prepare; people getting up and going to the bathroom more than once during the service; not paying attention to worship or participating in the worship experience; leaving a mess behind them in the pew after the service is over and it is apparent from the candy wrappers, personal notes written on bulletins or paper that they were not paying attention for whatever reason; people playing with their cell phones during singing, prayer or preaching. Those are just a few.
Thanks, Danny, for the pastor’s perspective. I suppose it sounds gross, but I also remember seeing piles of clipped fingernails on the floor after a service… 🙂
Ahhh…cold and flu season is upon us. I know nothing can be done, but coughing and sniffling…yikes! I just feel bad for the person not feeling well, but when they are near you, it can be hard to concentrate.
Hadn’t thought of that one, Kate, but you’re right. Thanks.
11. Attire.
God provided man with clothing, not because God was embarrassed by man’s nakedness, but to remind man of his sinful nature.A study by Northwestern University recognizes an internalization or self-reflection concept termed “enclothed cognition.” That study suggests that an individual’s actions are influenced by the clothes they wear.
According to the research non-verbal communication is both internal and external. Not only does it have an effect on us when we choose our attire, it also has an effect on those we come into contact with. Think about a band, or sports team, or the military, the attire provides protection and stimulates emotive responses. Worship attire is no different. God doesn’t command us to look bad so that He looks all the greater. On the contrary Jesus instructs us to give our all. Casual means unpremeditated, spontaneous, chance, unintentional, unplanned. Comfortable means contented, relaxed, easy, calm. In what way does casual or comfortable wear answer Jesus’ command to give our all?
The Prophet Malachi writes about unintentional or casual worship. God’s sovereign love is majestic and it should invoke awe and reverence. David demonstrated intentionality by refusing to sacrifice anything to the Lord that came without a price. What price do you put on Sunday worship? Is the language of our attire saying yes Lord you are the treasure of my life and I offer You my best?
Thanks for your thoughts, Steve.
Do you happen to follow Joel Osteen? “Giving Your Best” to God by wearing the “right” clothes? Have you read Malachi? Have you read Matthew 23:25-28 and Luke 11:37-42? Nowhere in Malachi does it state that worshiping God has to do with the clothes you wear. Malachi discusses how the people became complacent. They disobeyed God by giving crippled and blind animals for sacrfce and withheld their tithe. They resented what little God gave them and even said, “It is futile to serve God!” You compare being complacent to a secular study from a secular college that tells you people act based on what they wear on the outside. While that may be true in the world, that is not a believers truth or God’s truth. Christ followers act on what we wear on the inside which is Christ in us. When you read the txts in Matthew and Luke from Jesus’ own mouth, He condemns the pharisees for being so concerned with the outside of the body and it’s cleanliness and for neglectimg the inside of the body that was unclean, in fact rotten. What your pastor says contradicts the word of God, then it is not truth. It is false. Joel Osteen is a false prophet. If in fact you do follow Osteen or any other preacher who contradicts the word of God, run don’t walk! Get into a good bible teaching church and read your Bible. God loves you, and brought you to this blog for a reason. Jesus died for you and rose again from the dead. Go to Him now and repent and accept Him as Lord and Savior of your life. And follow Him. Time is short for this world. Jesus may return at any time. Do not delay! Praying for you.
Everyone can come up with something that bothers them, but we are not talking about the day of the entrance exam for university. Besides infecting other people if you attend while knowingly contagious, most things are forgivable. I am sure that even on Yom Kippur, the holiest of days, when all the temple rituals were being performed by the High Priest and his assistants, kids were crying and running around, people were coughing, etc. Yet the service continued. I am sure that somewhere in the crowd the rituals were being explained to children, which is commanded in the Torah and repeated by Jesus.
Good points, Mark. Thanks.
Thom,
I appreciate the article. I think we have all seen these distractions. I wonder though if really we just need to give a little more grace to sound technicians, people running the power point and other key leaders in churches. People try, sometimes we fail and as Pastors we are called to love our people. We should encourage them during these mess ups.
Jonathon
This is Chuck Lawless, Jonathan. I agree that we need to extend grace as appropriate. This list is a compilation of issues we have seen more than once. Thanks for the reminder.
I think the way church/worship leadership handles worship problems says volumes about the leadership in general. We attended a church that still used overheads, many of which had poor spellings on them. During services, if the worship leader would accidentally have put a wrong overhead in the Sunday stack, the person monitoring the overhead machine would get all flustered and have to run to the next room to try to find the right one, often with a second person running along to help–all while the worship team kept playing the song. Which was ridiculous, because any real worship got completely killed at that point, nor would the overhead monitor ever find the correct overhead before the song finished. Just turn off the machine and hum along and keep focusing on the Lord when the words vaporize! Neither the pastor or worship leader ever seemed to deal with the issue, because it recurred every few weeks. Anyway, is it really about God, or is it a performance? Plan ahead, keep quiet and calm when things go wrong, then plan again afterward for how to fix or minimize problems in the future. If we want to genuinely bless God, Who is supposedly present in His sanctuary, we will take the time to make sure every aspect of the service is properly and humbly prepared. And at some point, the congregation will start grasping our reverence for God, rather than just viewing worship as attendance at an “event.”
We agree, Louise. Preparation is critical. Thanks.
Every Sunday morning when I enter worship, I pray for the Lord to keep me focused and to keep me from becoming distracted, and He usually complies. If you really think about it, we become more distracted from our own thoughts than any of these things. What would Jesus do? Turn away the little children? Never…in fact (paraphrased) He said, “Let them come to me and do not hinder them. For the kingdom of heaven is for ones just like these. ” Would He deny a person from worshiping Him through song? Even though we might think they cannot carry a tune, how pleasing the sound is to God. Bodily functions? Not going there. People who come in late? I AM GLAD THEY CAME AT ALL. Having to move your legs to the side or get up for 5 seconds to let someone in? Let me respond by saying SO WHAT? Sorry, Thom, I have thanked God for most of the articles on this blog, discussions that open the door for learning and growth about things that are important to the kingdom of God. But not this one. What is the purpose of this article? To allow the people of God to complain about other people of God for going to the bathroom, singing out of tune, and mispelled words? And in a public forum, no less, where new believers and unbelievers can see? We are to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. I urge all believers to get into the Word of God today and spend time with Him in prayer that He my change our hearts and that we may focus on being Christ-like in all things and in all places. Do not become “distracted” by these worldly things. Focus on Christ. Like Peter who got out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus, the moment he became distracted by the wind and took his focus off Christ, he sank. Love like Christ. Someone loved me and because of that love, saved me! It was Jesus! What about you?
This is Chuck Lawless, Daughter. In no way do I intend this article to invite complaining. I’m simply encouraging us to be aware of these issues and always seek to give God our best. Thanks for your thoughts.
Ok, so this is two days in a row that I have to thank you for having one of the better comments on this blog. The whole idea of mystery shoppers and church consultants baffles me. It seems like such a worldly way of approaching gathering together as the people of God.
Thank you for your comments, Dallas. Praises to our God! I saw your own comment above about your parents…what a tragedy. Glad you came back 🙂 Sometimes, the answer is the easy one when we remember that we are all sinners and that by grace alone we can call ourselves sons and daughters of the One True God. Thanks again!
Mystery shoppers and church consultants provide the church with a different perspective. One that is not infused with the weltanschuung of the congregation.
They don’t have the blind spots that church members and regular attendees have.
“Blnd spots” can be anything from never using the front door (I’m aware of one denomimation where the front door, which faces the street, might be unlocked as often as once a quarter, for ten, or maybe fifteen minutes.) to the condition of the back curtains, to the illegibility of the church signage.
Daughter and Dallas,
A number of words come to mind when I read your posts, though defensive and aggressive are two that stick out. Having read the entirety of the article–for the third time–in an attempt to (if possible) interpolate a grounds for your words and opinions, I confess I’m still at a loss. I can’t find a single instance in which Prof. Lawless even implies the things you insinuate he is forthrightly conveying. As Pastors (if you are one, you’ll understand) we are entrusted with the stewardship of worship. Said stewardship necessitates that we take an honest and clear look at issues just such as these. As you have addressed your comments to Thom (Dr. Rainer, I believe, is more appropriate) and not the actual, listed author, it seems clear to me that the article was not ingested with a patient, searching, prayerful Spirit. On each and every one of the issues you’ve cited, Prof. Lawless is even-handed and thoroughly understanding (presupposing multiple reasons for each, none of which are personal or prohibitive.) I guess what I’m trying to say is this: the article itself was neither negative, nor conflictive, while your responses each were. Therefore, it stands to reason, you must ask yourself if it is your own analysis that belongs in the public forum.
Also, on the issue of secret shoppers, may I posit two possibilities? Firstly, it is entirely possible that the selected mystery guest (you may plead semantics over the word shopper) knows not the Gospel. If they visit, even as a dreaded “mystery shopper,” they just might hear it (provided the sound is good and the distractions are few, which–by your scathing critique–cannot be assessed while remaining Christocentric.) Second, if the “mystery shopper” is a believer, than one might think of them as an invited guest who is present for the purpose of feedback, rather than prospect. Either way, I hope you’ll agree, their existence and presence should be welcomed rather than condemned.
As I am sure you are aware, there are many underground churches in hostile countries where people literally risk their lives to learn about Jesus and worship God. People in China who have very few possessions, often wearing the only clothes they own, leave their homes in the middle of the night, walk many miles through forests, hills, and rivers, avoiding police and Stasi-like military to gather together with other believers in a shack or home or basement with no heat or air, sit on dirt or concrete floors with a small candle burning, a Bible, and the joy of the Lord. No hymnals, no comfy chairs, no sound systems, and no bathrooms. The New Testament Church was the same. Our Lord didn’t have a place to lay his head! We Americans have everything! How self-centered are we sitting in our lazy-boy chairs, in our warm nice homes, watching tv, and blogging on the internet in a free country and still complaining about things that bother us like people going to the bathroom or coughing and sneezing or how people dress in church? Defensive? No. None of the things listed above bother me at all. And, honestly, I think most of those who commented probably don’t think much about these things either, except that the article was posted and the question was posed, “What distractions do you see?” So, inevitably, even though the author’s intent was not to invite complaining, it did in fact illicit such. If you look at Jesus’ character, do you think he would consider these things as important? Wouldn’t Jesus rather we spend our time and energy on going out and having a conversation with a homeless person and explaining the gospel? You claim “stewardship” by preventing these so-called distractions so that guests will want to return? People who are going for the show may care about these things. But, people who come to find out about God, do not. Those people are looking for something that only Christ can give. People want authenticity, love, kindness, joy, and to know God. Look at the first church. People came to saving grace by the thousands. God doesn’t need strategies. What He needs is for each of us to bend to Him. HE is the potter. We are the clay. As to you inferring that I should call someone by a title and not their first name, I have to tell you, Paul, I have never been a groupie type, or celebrity watcher. You see, we are all the same in the kingdom of God. No, I am not a pastor either. I am a member of the body of Christ. To say that members do not experience some of the same things as pastors is simply a myth. If someone is complaining to the pastor, it is a sure bet that they are the same with members. Yes, some may say that the Truth of the Word of God is “aggressive.” I think the Truth can make many uncomfortable and cause the Holy Spirit to grow us. As many American churches, you do not want anyone to rock the boat. Many people do not speak up and defend the Truth of Jesus’ character and life for fear of persecution. But, I will speak boldly the truth of my Lord. Just open your Bible. It’s all in there.
What both you (Daughter of the King) and Dallas are ignoring, is cultural differences.
When I was in Dimbaza, a short church service was eight hours long, with the sermon being a minimum of four hours long.
A medium length church service was 60 (sixty) hours long, with at least one sermon being six hours in length, and several others being the usual four or so hours long.
Should those criteria be applied to churches in the United States?
More significantly:
* Can preachers in the United States even deliver a six hour long sermon?
* Can a congregation in the United States survive the short ( 8 hour) service?
Craig (below) and Dallas, as well as a few others, have it exactly right. In reference to your reply, please do not miss the underlying point of my posts. Let’s be real here. American Christianity has become a culture of apathy, idolatry, and a country club mentality. It is easy to become apathetic and engrossed in our own self-centeredness, to become indifferent to people around us, and to idolize the country club oops church. Yes, if we are so focused on trying to perfect the outside trimmings of our church and the people (dress, singing abilities, misspelled words, when to go to the bathroom, sound systems, etc) then we are not focused on perfecting the heart, and that is how we idolize our churches and ministries. It is this country club mindset and arrogance that distracts people from worshiping God and keeps people from coming back to church. It is wholly in contradiction to the Bible and to who Jesus is. To see leaders, current and future, in the church lacking discernment and falling for this lie, is more than a little scary. A poster stated unequivically that how someone is dressed affects them and him using the general Malachi says, yet does not actually back this idea up with scripture. He can’t because it is not in scripture. Yes, no one corrected this error except me. The author on replied to this unbiblical post as “thanks for your thoughts.” Another poster on the bulletin blog here, is a minister who said that he prayed to God about a member of his church to either get rid of himself or the member. The next day the member died. And now when he has a problem with a member, his wife asks him if he prayed and laughs! Does anyone here see this as abhorrent? Does nobody give correction here? Don’t want to ruffle any feathers? Spiritually, without correction, these things can mean life or death. Does anyone care about that? Apathy..self-interest..country club churches…idolatry. so, this is now the cukture of american churches. In underground churches, they learn aboit Jesus and worship Him for 8 hours, God bless them! Who do you think God is pleased with? Take this as a loving correction. For if this mentality persists, God Himself will be correcting us. God is already removing His hand from the american church. Look at Thom Rainer’s own statistics at the plethora of churches dying in america. If you still cannot discern my posts..please go back to the infallible word of God, pray, and fast if necessary. May God give us all discernment. Thanks.
> this country club mindset and arrogance that distracts people from worshiping God and keeps people from coming back to church.
That “country club mindset” is part of the cultural difference between the United States, and other countries. Along with that mindset is a quasi-tolerance of things that might not be sanctioned by scripture. (A throwback to when racism and slavery was “proven to be God’s will”, by quoting the appropriate verses.)
There is also an awareness that any pericope can be understood to mean a plethora of different things, depending upon how it is dissected, and re-assembled. Hence Steve’s implied reference to Malachi 2:16.
The Christianity found in the United States might not be congruent with that found in, say, Pattaya Beach, which, in turn, might not be congruent with that found in, say, Lagos. Does that necessarily mean that one is right, and the others are wrong?
I’m not saying that contemporary American theology, or even Christianity is perfect. I am saying that criticizing it on the basis of cultural differences is, as the knight said: “He chose, unwisely.”
Again, you are missing the point. It is not about the outside trimmings. It is not about cultural differences. It is about God’s truth in the written Word He gave us and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Saying that any one scripture verse can mean many different things can certainly happen. That is why it is important to know and consider the whole Word of God, so that one verse can be interpreted correctly. That is basic even in secular reading comprehension. Misinterpreting secular texts has little consequence. Misinterpreting God’s Word and claiming that misinterpretation as God’s Truth, has far reaching consequences. In slavery times, I believe that to have been a business decision, where people may have (don’t know that they did at all) attempted to clear the conscience by finding scripture that they twisted to support their viewpoint. But, one thing is missing in the discussion. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us discernment, clarity, and understanding of scripture. Without the Holy Spirit, one cannot have understanding. My post, deals moreso with the “attitudes” displayed from proporting Christians. When I say culture, it is not based on ethnicity or location. I am referring to the attitudes which I believe I was very clear on both posts. This may be a time when you are reading into something that is simply not there. The basis for everything should always be based on God’s Word. Thanks.
Jonathan, you ask whethere the cultural differences “necessarily” mean that one expression is right while another is wrong, implying that we should chalk up the differnces within our services merely to a cultural reality and move one.
While it may not necessarily mean that American Christianity has it wrong, it certainly doesn’t mean that we should close down the discussion, and assume that the “County Club Christianity” of the US is just fine.
If we are called to be in the world but not of the world, which we are, analyzing the way that allow our culture to influence the way that we worship and follow God, should be one of the things that we are constantly evaluating.
If the pagan temples in the area have worship that includes orgies, I might want to keep an eye out if there starts to be a tendency to have multiple partner sex within my own worship service.
If I live in a rampantly consumerist culture, I might want to keep an eye out that I am not merely producing another consumable product for those within the congregation.
The idols of the day within the world that we live in, are often the ones that try to set up shop within the assembly. The culture that we live in does inform our worldview and how we act, but we should allow scripture and the Spirit to filter out the unhelpful or even destructive bits that turn into idolatry.
>The culture that we live in does inform our worldview and how we act
Point is, everything critiqued by both Dallas and Daughter of the Kingdom is nothing more than an artifact of contemporary American culture.
Patrick, I have said this elsewhere, but I will repeat it here because it i relevant. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for a friend who is a church planter who shares these articles fairly frequently. It piques my interest to read what someone who has influence over a new congregation is reading when they are making decisions, or forming their beliefs about what their gathering should look like.
After having read several articles I have become concerned about the advice that is being shared here. As I said above it seems to be the very wordly advice of the business world, as if the pastor and elders within a congregation are management that is working with a large unpaid workforce. If I got this impression in error, I would welcome being corrected, but there has been an air of the corporate mindset in most everything that I have read here.
The idea of a church consultants and mystery shoppers are by their nature negative and critical things. You set people like this loose into a congregation with the expressed puropse of finding flaws, and to be blunt, to complain. I am glad to accept anyone into a worship service, but starting them off on the wrong foot of being their to criticize “the way” they worship seems like a shame.
In regards to a seperate article that friend of mine had shared which used the comparison of the mustard seed growing into a large tree to the Kingdom, I sketched out the illustration of man walking out to that tree with an arm full of lumber and tacking on 2×4’s in order to make the tree look more full and larger. It seems to me that this ministry is like a Home Depot for that kind of mindset.
Lastly, you have taken it upon yourself to point out our attitude in commenting, which is helpful because we can all get caught up in emotions and lose sight of things. I would hope that you would also appreciate the mirror being offered to you as well. You may not be doing this purpoosefully, but the way that you have engaged the both of us carries a tone of “putting us in our place”. Comments about using titles, and attributing special knowledge to pastors serves to unercut our statements not by engaging them, but by disempowering us by placing the doctors, pastors and professors “over” us.
You do the same in implying that “Daughter of the King” has not read or understood the article just because she accidentally attributed it to Thom Rainer, rather than making the more graceful assumption that she made that assumption since it is posted on thomrainer.com.
In any case, I do appreciate the dialogue, which is why I am posting here in the first place. I worry for a good guy, trying to do a good thing, that might be getting some bad advice… and he is probably not alone.
I have been involved in a number of churches over the years. I have been a part of churches that segregated their kids in children’s church–only to see the kids stop coming to church as soon as they became teenagers. One of the reasons was that the church’s so-called adult services, which they were expected to attend as teenagers were too different from children’s church. The kids didn’t always stop going to church altogether. They migrated to a church whose Sunday morning gatherings were like the children’s church to which they were accustomed. On the other hand I have also been a part of churches that worked at integrating the kids into the church’s principle Sunday morning gathering or gatherings from infancy. With the exception of a few ADHD kids most of these kids were no distraction–except perhaps to a few mean-spirited souls who didn’t like kids in the first place. .
How was children’s church organized that made the transition so difficult?
Was the adult service just a matter of having to sit still for too long? not enough interaction?
All of the worship distractions that you listed can be remedied with perhaps the exception of people coming and going from the worship center. At the Journey we have very few people do that–the typically parent called out of the service by the children’s ministry and folks with a small bladder, enlarged prostrate, or urinary infection. The lights are out during the worship set and the sermon except for the spots directed at the platform Someone quietly slipping out of the room usually goes unnoticed by most of congregation. Your listing of 10 common worship distractions is useful because it can be used as a checklist of areas that may need attention to improve the Sunday morning worship experience.
Thanks, Robin.
So where is this church that gets at least these ten correct every week?
Of course, every church can improve on a given week. Thanks, Don.
This was a minor distraction because it made me laugh both at the distraction and at myself for noticing it. I don’t know if there’s a technical name for the video that plays behind the song lyrics, but the video I remember was a depiction of the rotating Earth from the viewpoint of outer space. The problem was that it was rotating in the wrong direction, causing the sun to rise over California first and making its way east to New York. It was one of my first times at the church which I came to love, but after that service I went up to the projectionist and asked him to please forgive my teacher-induced OCD, but please replace a video that was probably distracting other teachers in the congregation. He laughed, looked at the video again on his computer and said, “You’re right.” Never saw the video again.
🙂
I thought I was the only one who noticed such things. At our church they used to regularly use a slide depicting a woman, head covered, praying. What they failed to notice was that the photo was of Queen Noor of Jordan who is Muslim. Bothers me every time.
It’s a distraction to refer to the 1100 gathering as worship. Fr me, it seems we have given new meaning to the word worship. A meaning that is diluted and misses the mark. The distraction for me as a pastor is the diluting of worship. I’m not trying to be funny or ill-spirited. I’m just expressing my thoughts and feelings. I know it was alluded to in the introduction to this post, but I really think we should call our gatherings something other than worship. Thanks for the post and may our God bless you as you serve him.
Good point. As you read through Paul’s epistles you see very little reference to believers gathering to worship. Is worship important? Absolutely, but its a way of life, not just something you do between 11 and 12 on Sunday morning. Believers meet to build up the body, primarily through the preaching and teaching of God’s word. Believers also minister to each other through the various spiritual gifts (exhortation, mercy, giving, service…etc). The body meets to be built up enabling believers to then go out into the world as ambassadors for Christ. This idea of meeting to have a worship experience is turning the church into an ecumenical, mystical, experience seeking pampered church soft on faith and Bible truth. That’s why the modern American church is so easily distracted.
I would also say that announcements during the service can be very distracting. I do not understand why announcements are usually done right in the middle of the service, in between Scripture reading and singing. To me, this is a distraction from worship. Honestly, it is difficult enough to focus on the Lord and meditate on the Gospel without being distracted by other cares and concerns. Announcements do not help with this. Logistical/scheduling announcements about what is happening in the church and when cause me to start thinking about my schedule and other matters not immediately pertinent to worship. Has anyone ever attended a church where announcements were not part of the worship service? I wonder if there is a better way to make them so that they do not interrupt the focus of the service. Maybe have them at the very start of the service as people are coming in and then have the singing/Scripture reading/preaching be uninterrupted? Or just print them in the bulletin without announcing them? What are your thoughts on this?
Along with the above, babies crying in the service is close to the top of my list. I understand that children bring life to the church, but a crying baby or talking child is a huge distraction. That’s why it’s so important for churches to have ministries such as nurseries and children’s church. Children are still very much welcome in the church, but they’re not bored in the service and others aren’t distracted by them. It’s a win-win.
#6 has happened to me several times! I get caught up in the worship and miss the slide. The 2nd part has happened too…… sound guys….. shhhhhhh!
I was struck by how many of these are technological problems. Sometimes I wonder if Spurgeon had the right idea by not allowing musical instruments in the church. He readily agreed such instruments are perfectly scriptural, but he thought they took away from the simplicity of worship. Personally, I have no quarrel with musical instruments or technology as such, but I do have to wonder if we’re making our worship more complicated than it should be.
I have recently begun attending a Wednesday lunch time Communion Service at a United Methodist Church near my downtown office. The service includes one hymn, one scripture reading, lots of prayer and meditation on that scripture, then receiving the Lord’s Supper. Twenty-five minutes of being still and soaking up this time of doing nothing but focusing on the Lord with other believers has become the highlight of my week. My regular Sunday church service is good worship experience, but there is too much going on there… too many distractions with the loud music, sign-ups, announcements, video boards, instructions, events, long preaching, things for us to do, etc. It seems we have created too may busy things to do at church these days and we need to return to true worship of our Lord. I can’t wait for Wednesdays now!
Well, I guess if you want worship with little to no distractions, just go into your prayer closet and worship. Otherwise, the very nature of corporate worship presents distractions. It probably says more about our contemporary mind that we are so easily distracted when in the presence of the Almighty.
Thanks for the article. It’s sad because I can identify a few of these problems in my church. While there is no perfect church, this article has helped us to pinpoint areas of improvement to minimize distractions.