I was recently browsing the blogosphere and came across this post by someone I knew in college. TRP lives in the Pacific Northwest, recently moved to a new city, and he and his wife are looking for a new Episcopal parish to join. However, a lot of the places they've tried out have made them uncomfortable, and would definitely make ME uncomfortable too.
A few people have been giving this guy a hard time in comments and even other blogs, saying that he is shallow and narrow-minded because he only wants to worship with people exactly like himself, and that the true meaning of Christianity and the value of organized religion is getting lost in the details of worship style. But I was reading this post and thinking, "Right on, brother. You are brilliant. And very brave in your candor."
See, I've recently been through the church search myself. Although I didn't have experiences as squirm-inducing as his (unwanted hugging? public identification as a visitor? newcomer-stalking?), there were definitely places we felt uncomfortable, and we ultimately ended up going further afield to find a place we liked. And yes, little details do matter in terms of overall comfort level and ability to focus on worship. Even if they seem like shallow stylistic details.
Some of the discomfort TRP alludes to seems to reflect the rising prevalence of "contemporary"-style worship, even in old mainline denominations. By contemporary, I mean decidedly informal services incorporating "praise bands", song lyrics projected on a screen, people holding up their hands while singing/dancing along, and casual dress. Generally it's a lot more "participatory" than a traditional service. A lot of parishes seem to be experimenting with this of late, although it usually occurs at an occasional or late service. They sometimes dress it up as a "family" service or get the youth group involved, but there it is. Contemporary.
This makes a lot of old-school people uneasy. I'll be the first to stand up and say that while contemporary worship may be great for some people, and I understand that mainline denominations are worried (with good reason) about their numbers, and it's good to try new things sometimes, and I appreciate these efforts to reach more people...I also can't help thinking that this trend is fixing something that ain't broke.
People are supposedly attracted to this contemporary evangelical-style worship because traditional services "turn them off" or "aren't relevant." I guess I have a hard time understanding why the traditional Episcopal liturgy (Rite I, Rite II) and music would be a turnoff. Even when I try to look at it from an objective point of view, I find it a beautiful and meaningful liturgy, generally free of thees and thous and other potentially scary and unfamiliar words. I'll admit Rite I is a little formal for most people, but it's still interesting to be part of it from time to time. Rite II is, in my mind, a nice update to it - understandable but still lovely. And in a denomination in which, at least in most cases, modern and even liberal societal stances (i.e. social justice, ordination of women and homosexuals, etc.) have been integrated with the traditional worship style and episcopal organization, I'm just wondering why anyone would feel Rite II Episcopalianism is so irrelevant and off-putting as to be supplanted by or replaced with evangelical-style worship. In other words, what's wrong with what we have?
I've also noticed over the past 15 years or so that Episcopal churches are clearly making an effort to be more user-friendly, particularly to those who are new. Examples of this include: paragraphs in the programs indicating when people are supposed to sit, stand or kneel (even through the priest usually tells you what to do - "please stand" etc.); printing the entire service in the program (rather than simply providing worshipers with page numbers in the Hymnal and the Book of Common Prayer); providing crayons and coloring books to entertain kids and keep them quiet (instead of making them actually try to learn how to behave at church). It's as if their expectations of worshipers, and the ability of worshipers to follow along, has been lowered.
I have really mixed feelings about all this. On one hand, it is important to make everyone feel as welcome and comfortable as possible if they are new or searching or from a different religious tradition. And yes, it is convenient not to be fumbling between your program, hymnal, and prayerbook. And as a mom, yeah, the crayons can be a lifesaver at times. I appreciate these efforts to make churchgoing "easier" in some ways.
But on the other hand, some of it seems almost a little, well, patronizing for people who are already familiar with Episcopalianism. I mean, you don't think I can read the number, open the right book, and find the right page? You want to kill more God-given trees because of this belief of yours? You don't think my child is capable of sitting quietly and listening to at least some of the service, or that I'm capable of insisting my kids do so? Do you think I'm a dummy who can't figure out that I'm supposed to stand up and sit down when everyone else does? Or that it would be the end of the world if I happened to do the wrong thing?
Granted, I grew up with this particular brand of worship. But I've been to Catholic services, and other Protestant services, and evangelical services, and multiple Episcopal churches - and inevitably, when you first visit a new church, there is ALWAYS a need to sit back initially and figure out how this congregation does things. Normally one can do so by listening carefully and watching what the other people are doing. It's normal, and OK, to feel a little out of place or clueless when you first go to a worship service at a new place, or in a new denomination or tradition. But I don't see how trying to eliminate this process, and making services seemingly idiot-proof, is going to help the numbers. Are you really going to join a church because you don't have to touch the hymnal or the prayer book ever again, or because they have detailed instructions on what to do when?
I've been to a number of contemporary worship services, primarily in evangelical contexts. I was curious, and had friends who were part of these churches who encouraged me to join them and check it out. I went in with a very open mind. And it's definitely not for me. For one thing, you feel a lot of pressure to very publicly show your love of the Lord (raised arms, dancing, clapping, saying "Yes, Jesus" when you agree with something the minister or leader says in prayer, etc.). For another thing, other people doing these things definitely distracts me from feeling God's presence. Thirdly, you get evangelized. Big time. People are almost too excited to meet you and beg you to come back, or tell you within two minutes of being introduced that they'd really like to study the Bible with you. I felt stalked before I even left the building, but also annoyed that these people thought I was a heathen in need of saving just because I wasn't already part of an evangelical organization. My rather extensive history as a Christian meant nothing to them - it was like I didn't speak their language even when I said I'd studied the Bible before. I hadn't been officially saved, so they needed to do it.
Contemporariness in an Episcopal context is not usually quite as intense, but I'll admit that it's something I associate with nondenominational evangelical churches, and that this is not a positive association for a lot of personal reasons, as noted above.
So TRP, I wish you and your wife the best of luck, and pray that you will find a church home even better than the one you recently left behind when you moved. But I still don't get that clapping on 2 and 4 thing...I'm probably one of the dorks who claps on 1 and 3.
If I clap, that is. I usually don't get into situations where it's called for.
A few people have been giving this guy a hard time in comments and even other blogs, saying that he is shallow and narrow-minded because he only wants to worship with people exactly like himself, and that the true meaning of Christianity and the value of organized religion is getting lost in the details of worship style. But I was reading this post and thinking, "Right on, brother. You are brilliant. And very brave in your candor."
See, I've recently been through the church search myself. Although I didn't have experiences as squirm-inducing as his (unwanted hugging? public identification as a visitor? newcomer-stalking?), there were definitely places we felt uncomfortable, and we ultimately ended up going further afield to find a place we liked. And yes, little details do matter in terms of overall comfort level and ability to focus on worship. Even if they seem like shallow stylistic details.
Some of the discomfort TRP alludes to seems to reflect the rising prevalence of "contemporary"-style worship, even in old mainline denominations. By contemporary, I mean decidedly informal services incorporating "praise bands", song lyrics projected on a screen, people holding up their hands while singing/dancing along, and casual dress. Generally it's a lot more "participatory" than a traditional service. A lot of parishes seem to be experimenting with this of late, although it usually occurs at an occasional or late service. They sometimes dress it up as a "family" service or get the youth group involved, but there it is. Contemporary.
This makes a lot of old-school people uneasy. I'll be the first to stand up and say that while contemporary worship may be great for some people, and I understand that mainline denominations are worried (with good reason) about their numbers, and it's good to try new things sometimes, and I appreciate these efforts to reach more people...I also can't help thinking that this trend is fixing something that ain't broke.
People are supposedly attracted to this contemporary evangelical-style worship because traditional services "turn them off" or "aren't relevant." I guess I have a hard time understanding why the traditional Episcopal liturgy (Rite I, Rite II) and music would be a turnoff. Even when I try to look at it from an objective point of view, I find it a beautiful and meaningful liturgy, generally free of thees and thous and other potentially scary and unfamiliar words. I'll admit Rite I is a little formal for most people, but it's still interesting to be part of it from time to time. Rite II is, in my mind, a nice update to it - understandable but still lovely. And in a denomination in which, at least in most cases, modern and even liberal societal stances (i.e. social justice, ordination of women and homosexuals, etc.) have been integrated with the traditional worship style and episcopal organization, I'm just wondering why anyone would feel Rite II Episcopalianism is so irrelevant and off-putting as to be supplanted by or replaced with evangelical-style worship. In other words, what's wrong with what we have?
I've also noticed over the past 15 years or so that Episcopal churches are clearly making an effort to be more user-friendly, particularly to those who are new. Examples of this include: paragraphs in the programs indicating when people are supposed to sit, stand or kneel (even through the priest usually tells you what to do - "please stand" etc.); printing the entire service in the program (rather than simply providing worshipers with page numbers in the Hymnal and the Book of Common Prayer); providing crayons and coloring books to entertain kids and keep them quiet (instead of making them actually try to learn how to behave at church). It's as if their expectations of worshipers, and the ability of worshipers to follow along, has been lowered.
I have really mixed feelings about all this. On one hand, it is important to make everyone feel as welcome and comfortable as possible if they are new or searching or from a different religious tradition. And yes, it is convenient not to be fumbling between your program, hymnal, and prayerbook. And as a mom, yeah, the crayons can be a lifesaver at times. I appreciate these efforts to make churchgoing "easier" in some ways.
But on the other hand, some of it seems almost a little, well, patronizing for people who are already familiar with Episcopalianism. I mean, you don't think I can read the number, open the right book, and find the right page? You want to kill more God-given trees because of this belief of yours? You don't think my child is capable of sitting quietly and listening to at least some of the service, or that I'm capable of insisting my kids do so? Do you think I'm a dummy who can't figure out that I'm supposed to stand up and sit down when everyone else does? Or that it would be the end of the world if I happened to do the wrong thing?
Granted, I grew up with this particular brand of worship. But I've been to Catholic services, and other Protestant services, and evangelical services, and multiple Episcopal churches - and inevitably, when you first visit a new church, there is ALWAYS a need to sit back initially and figure out how this congregation does things. Normally one can do so by listening carefully and watching what the other people are doing. It's normal, and OK, to feel a little out of place or clueless when you first go to a worship service at a new place, or in a new denomination or tradition. But I don't see how trying to eliminate this process, and making services seemingly idiot-proof, is going to help the numbers. Are you really going to join a church because you don't have to touch the hymnal or the prayer book ever again, or because they have detailed instructions on what to do when?
I've been to a number of contemporary worship services, primarily in evangelical contexts. I was curious, and had friends who were part of these churches who encouraged me to join them and check it out. I went in with a very open mind. And it's definitely not for me. For one thing, you feel a lot of pressure to very publicly show your love of the Lord (raised arms, dancing, clapping, saying "Yes, Jesus" when you agree with something the minister or leader says in prayer, etc.). For another thing, other people doing these things definitely distracts me from feeling God's presence. Thirdly, you get evangelized. Big time. People are almost too excited to meet you and beg you to come back, or tell you within two minutes of being introduced that they'd really like to study the Bible with you. I felt stalked before I even left the building, but also annoyed that these people thought I was a heathen in need of saving just because I wasn't already part of an evangelical organization. My rather extensive history as a Christian meant nothing to them - it was like I didn't speak their language even when I said I'd studied the Bible before. I hadn't been officially saved, so they needed to do it.
Contemporariness in an Episcopal context is not usually quite as intense, but I'll admit that it's something I associate with nondenominational evangelical churches, and that this is not a positive association for a lot of personal reasons, as noted above.
So TRP, I wish you and your wife the best of luck, and pray that you will find a church home even better than the one you recently left behind when you moved. But I still don't get that clapping on 2 and 4 thing...I'm probably one of the dorks who claps on 1 and 3.
If I clap, that is. I usually don't get into situations where it's called for.
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