Church Scratched off the List

[TheGriff]

I started my search for a new church home in my new hometown.

I attended the first church today at the invitation of a co-worker who noticed the icthus on my car and invited me to his church.

I arrive at the church and the sanctuary was like none I've ever seen. It was more like an auditorium than a sanctuary. It was dark, there was no pulpit--just a---um---stage with a drum, saxophone, keyboard, and trumpet ready to go, all painted black.

The service started off with the "Victory Chant".

(For those of you who don't know it, it goes like this):

Hail, Jesus, You're my king!
Your light frees me to sing!
I will praise all my days.
You're perfect in all Your ways.
Hail, Jesus, You're perfect in all Your ways.

Hail, Jesus, You're my Lord.
I will obey Your word.
Jesus, I want to see Your Kingdom come
Not my will, but Yours will be done.

Glory, Glory, to the Lamb
You will take us into the land.
We will conquor in You're name.
And proclaim that Jesus reigns

Hail, Hail, Lion of Judah
How powerful You are.
Hail, Hail, Lion of Judah
How wonderful You are.

And this goes on until you get tired of singing it. They kept singing and singing. They went through it five times when I started counting.

This is a high-octane song and pumps you up. But this was the tameset song would sing.

Now I want to talk about the man who I thought was the pastor but turns out must have been the worship leader. He was energetic. But I got the impression that he was like the kid in high school who was trying to be cool but not quite making it.

He started bobbing his head and slapping his hand on his leg and then--and this was comical though I doubt he meant it to be--he started clapping above his head then slapping his legs. It looked like he was doing jumping jacks.

I almost felt like yelling out "More Cow Bell" (For those unfamiliar with this cultural reference, check out the YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mie9hhQTUM)

Then its time to start the service, the title of the message was "Sharing Jesus with your Peeps". And as visual aids the pastor brought out about 2 dozen peeps--those marshmallow Easter chicken candies--to represent the peeps in his world.

He was also dressed in jean shorts and a polo shirt. So I guess now the ministry of the Gospel is no longer a professional career.

Needless to say this church won't make it on the short list.

 

[Salty]

Griff,

You realize, you have just ruffled a lot of feathers on several peeps!

Sounds like you and I would enjoy similar churches! :thumbsup:

 

[SolaSaint]

I would assume if you would go and investigate the neighboring peeps around this church they would tell you they filled out a survey not long ago asking "what they would like to see in a church"?

 

[Tom Butler]

Don't you guys understand? Relevance is everything.

I've been in one of those kinds of services. The music is designed to get you pumped up. They call it "getting in the Spirit."

You see, you can't get in the Spirit without a heavy drumbeat or hot guitar licks, or hand-clapping, or jumping up and down.

Griff, you and and Salty just don't know how out of touch you are.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

OK fellas....here is what is growing in New Jersey...... Think its called Emergent, Give me your honest review.

http://www.liquidchurch.com/first-time/our-story/

 

[InTheLight]

Needless to say this church won't make it on the short list.

Wouldn't make my list either. How big and how many TV screens were there?

 

[freeatlast]

OK fellas....here is what is growing in New Jersey...... Think its called Emergent, Give me your honest review.

http://www.liquidchurch.com/first-time/our-story/

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

 

[SolaSaint]

OK fellas....here is what is growing in New Jersey...... Think its called Emergent, Give me your honest review.

http://www.liquidchurch.com/first-time/our-story/

I listened to the intro to the Liquid church and he said the churches in his area were dry and dusty, not relavent. I guess any unregenerate person would feel this way, so make up a church that meets your needs, that is the way of churches today. For me, I'll take the dry old traditional church that preaches and teaches truth and seeks to edify and encourage growth in Christ.

 

[exscentric]

You guys are just a bunch of judgmental Pharisees!!!!

Glad to have some company!!!!!!!!

That church would make my long list of churches not to attend, this town is full of them.

 

[J.D.]

OK fellas....here is what is growing in New Jersey...... Think its called Emergent, Give me your honest review.

http://www.liquidchurch.com/first-time/our-story/

"Liquid Church", aye? Reminds me of two churches in my town. One is called "Rain", another is called "River". I'm thinking the River is a split from Rain.

By the way, can someone tell what "A God Thing" is?

 

[SaggyWoman]

A God Thing? I know some sincere baptist people who use that term.

 

[J.D.]

A God Thing? I know some sincere baptist people who use that term.

I'm sure they are sincere, but I still don't know what they mean when they say it.

 

[annsni]

We would use the term "A God Thing" when it was something that was apparently done by God for His glory. I'd say that when the doctor came to my husband to tell us that my daughter was better and he didn't know why, we'd have called that a "God Thing". When He shows His hand in our lives, it's a "God Thing"

 

[J.D.]

We would use the term "A God Thing" when it was something that was apparently done by God for His glory. I'd say that when the doctor came to my husband to tell us that my daughter was better and he didn't know why, we'd have called that a "God Thing". When He shows His hand in our lives, it's a "God Thing"

Okay, thanks for that explanation. I understand now.

 

[TheGriff]

Hmm... I was reading through the website and they say that context is king and they are not employ a traditional or a contemporary or a blended service. The entire service has to be taken as a whole. And to that end, the children's sermon tied into the main sermon. The children's sermon was a back-to-school "Backpack Blessing".

They were told the need of sharing Jesus with their friends and teahers, and as a "conversation starter" were given a cross-shaped carabiner.

But the music was disjointed from the rest of the service. The line in the Victory chant that says "We will conquor in Your name and tell the people that Jesus reigns' fits into the context of the service but other songs were just plain praise and worship songs.

I can think of a half dozen contemporary and traditional songs about evangelism that could have been used. Let's see:

Go Light Your World
People Need The Lord
My House is Full
I'll Tell the World That I'm a Christian
Jesus Saves
Send the Light
Let Others See Jesus in You
We've a Story to Tell to the Nations
Tell Me the Story of Jesus
I Love to tell the Story
From Greenland's Icy Mountain

Okay that's seven...

 

[Tom Butler]

I do admit that some of my uneasiness with this kind of church springs from my upbringing and my advanced age. I'm a septuagenarian.

I was reared in a pretty traditional Southern Baptist setting in the South, so I'm definitely not culturally attuned to the Spit--uh, Liquid--style.

I have no doubt that the worship experience there is different from what I'm used to. And that's part of my problem. I've been a minister of music for all of my adult life and never thought my job was to provide a worship experience. It was to lead the worship music. In my mind there's a difference between worshiping and having a worship experience. It's a wonderful thing when God inhabits a room full of people whose aim is to glorify God, not have an experience.

 

[Thousand Hills]

I liked to use the term "A God Thing" a couple of years ago when my wife lost her job for no apparent reason. She was a knowledgeable, dependent, hard worker who gave her all to working at the practice. For some reason the administrator or someone else was looking to put the blame on her, when someone claimed some surgical equipment wasn't properly sterilized. All of the doctors in the practice liked her, but no one would stand up for her and she was still forced to leave. She has since finished her college degree which probably never would of happened if she continued to work for her former employer. Things have been tough, but I think she is well poised to make a bigger impact in a future career than she would have before. Bottom line, it didn't make any sense, but God was working through the whole situation. :godisgood:

 

[Jim1999]

I went to hear the late Martyn Lloyd-Jones preach in England. There was an opening hymn, opening prayer and he preached for 50 minutes. Then there was a closing hymn and prayer. The collection boxes were in the entry and the announcements were in the paper handed out on entry. That is what I call a service. The word, the word, the word.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Alive in Christ]

Regarding the "Liquid Church", from what I saw on their link I would definetly visit a few times if I were looking for a church.

Everything sounded good to me.

 

[tinytim]

Without going to the "Liquid Church" myself.. it looked pretty solid on the website.. check out their beliefs... solid! I don't think they are emergent.. (McClaren style)

I'm sure if I was in that area, I would check it out.

NOW the church in the OP sounds like one I would avoid.