If I could ban one word from church, it would have to be "fun".
Before the cries of 'calvanist meanie!' go up. Let me explain, then after that, you can get the dunking chair out on me :-)
In the modern church, that word has become the yardstick generally of whether a program, camp, sermon or activity has been effective. And notice the main tenet of using this as a benchmark: It's need for an immediate response
Fun is an instantateous reaction to a stimuli. There is no such thing as waiting for a while and thinking about whether what just happened was fun - it either is or isn't. This is dangerous because this predisposes the church into judging everything on a straight emotional response and one that can be thoroughly misleading
The effectiveness of the Christian faith can usually only be seen through a long period of walking with the Lord in obedience and discipleship. At times, many of those moments are full of hardship and discomfort - definitely not fun. But it is necessary to build that kind of intimacy with God, if you are serious
Which I think is the crux of the issue here. It's usually a way of skirting the harder issues about where our own individual faith is taking us. Rather than think about that, we rather play with it superficially. Keep it light, keep it fun
The last time I checked, being fun was not really one of God's attributes. And even if you can find some way from your exegesis to argue so, I would contend that it certaintly isn't one of his major ones
Soli Deo Gloria
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6 comments:
Amen!
Whoa! The C-man, oherwise known as 'Driscoll's Homeboy' comes out of left field,suddenly!
Yes bro, definitely not fun to be in church. We have to be serious if we want to get close and build our relationship with god.
However, we can inject some "fun" in message in order to capture the heart of the young mind. But we ought to be serious in bringing our message across, right?
I also sense some church uses FUN to portray their group. HMM, BEING WITH GOD IS NOT FUN.
I also wonder, are churches a fun place to be in? Apparently not. I faced sadness and at time, difficult people in church. K, K ... out of topic..
Perhaps, some people just want to play with illusion ? :D
Good points, brother J. Let me address them:
1) I rather the old fashioned word "levity" in preference to 'fun'. The former has the connotation of light heartedness, which is definitely appropriate in certain circumstances.
Please don't get the impression that I am against humour in the church! If you ask me, we need some real humour in church as opposed to the superficial rubbish or smut that passes for it
But we are dealing with a mindset that is heavily secularised and socialised to accept the notion of fun as the norm for everything.
However, I am woeful that the level of sacredness that used to be attached to a church or place or worship has become the equivalent of evangelical disneyland.
It is, after all, a place where the presence of God is to be found. And due awe, respect and honour should be given to that
I sometimes wonder if Jesus might do another temple cleansing if he visited some of our churches on a Sunday after worship and saw what was happening.. ;-)
If Jesus come to this earth, I assume many churches need to close down !!!
but not up to me to judge..
I may be wrong :)
When Jesus comes again, there will be no need for the church. The Bridegroom has returned, so to speak :-)
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