Looney Theology

Good essay.. and I like P&W...
I sorta think the same way he does on this issue...

Some are going overboard.

 

The irony is that if the looney tenets he lists did not have a throng of adherents, CCM would never have found a foothold in Baptist and Evangelical churches.

 

Sad, but so true.

 

Funny, I was a worship leader for almost 20 years before I was demoted to pastor, and about half of that was leading contemporary worship, and I've never heard anyone say any of the ten things he listed.

 

Some folks jus' ain' got der ears tuned fo' list'nin'

 

Amazing how some folks know just about everything there is to know about music they don't listen to written and sung by folks they don't fellowship with.

 

Excellent essay. The way he expressed some things had my husband almost in tears from laughter. I have to admit, though, we HAVE chosen churches based on music...or rather, chosen against them. There is an excellent Baptist church here in Grants Pass with excellent theology being taught. We went there several times but were disturbed by the band at the front which 'led' worship as such ear-splitting decibels that my hard-of-hearing daughter even complained!

I wrote to the music minister asking if all the services were like that and received a reasonably rude letter telling me that yes, and that was how they reached out to the young people.

We do not attend that church. We have found one which uses a combination of the old hymns and some of the new choruses which fit the preaching for that Sunday.

So music did play a part in our church choice here. We were not up for early deafness, despite the good theology being preached in the sermon.

We now have good theology, a knowledgable pastor, and music which does cause one to think, and leads to a worshipful attitude. We appreciate that combination.

 

That single phrase "demoted to pastor" sets alarm bells ringing. Do you have a meaning beyond the obvious for that statement or has theology and practice become that messed up and confused?

 

Not having heard any of the list, boy that must be nice......I think I ran across all the ideas in couple of years when was silly enough to go to aogs. I know I've seen all of it taken seriously here on BB :tonofbricks:

 

I think that was said with tongue in cheek...

The congregation lifts up the worship leader, but it seems that in a lot of churches... after the singing is done, then we HAVE to listen to the sermon...

So in a lot of people's mind, the worship leader that gets the place
a-pumpin is more popular than the pastor... which is just now a dreadful necessity...

After- worship,- we -only- have -15 -minutes- before -we -get- to- go home- mentality!

IOWs, people respect the WL more than the pastor...

I think that's what he meant... that's the way I took it anyway.

 

I think he meant it as a joke. I would say that most of us leading worship do not put ourselves above the pastor.

 

Not to mention the way some churches treat their pastors, it feels like a demotion... I am sure we have all read the article about all the responsibilities of a pastor.

Work, work, work,

We answer the call from God...which most of the time takes us away from families and friends... to a place where we stay awake at night with headaches.... We can't make close friends or we are seen as having favorites...

People shun us because we "ruin" people's fun.
We have little time for family.

When something goes wrong with us, who do we run to? Who is our pastor?
People expect us to be perfect... impossible, but because of this expectation, we put impossible standards on ourselves, and families.

We are expected to be miracle workers.
People that never bring their children to church when they are young, decide the children need God when they are 17 and into drugs... and if we can't change them, we get the blame!

No wonder to some, it feels like a demotion....a lot of times, I long for the days I could be just a pew sitter... 1 hr a week, reg. job, reg. life...

But... and it is a big BUT! I wouldn't give up being a pastor for anything!

 

Glad to hear it!:applause:

 

The article couldn't be more correct. And it is a shame. The author makes some very lucid points about basing "worship" in subculture.