A Blueprint for Better Worship
For the entirety of my life, I have been a church-goer. That doesn't mean, however, that I'm a church-liker.
As I get older, I like going to church less and less. At first I did it because it was where my parents drove me, then I wanted to go and be with friends. Eventually I became aware of a personal relationship with "God" and looked forward to participating in the activities of His house. These days I go out of duty more than anything else.
In the eleven years since I graduated from high school (and never graduated from college, arg), I've spent five working at the world headquarters of my denomination. Truly an enlightening and eye-opening experience, I've been around the world with the fortune of seeing worship done in so many styles. I've seen what it takes to run an organization (read: that's all a church really is) and I've developed an opinion on what should and shouldn't be.
All the while I've been going to my little church and supporting as they do things backwards. Tradition dictates it, after all. This morning, as I passively skipped attendance (a rarity, let me assure you), I asked myself what it would make a church the kind of place that I'd enjoy attending again. Here are the conditions I came to.
As I get older, I like going to church less and less. At first I did it because it was where my parents drove me, then I wanted to go and be with friends. Eventually I became aware of a personal relationship with "God" and looked forward to participating in the activities of His house. These days I go out of duty more than anything else.
In the eleven years since I graduated from high school (and never graduated from college, arg), I've spent five working at the world headquarters of my denomination. Truly an enlightening and eye-opening experience, I've been around the world with the fortune of seeing worship done in so many styles. I've seen what it takes to run an organization (read: that's all a church really is) and I've developed an opinion on what should and shouldn't be.
All the while I've been going to my little church and supporting as they do things backwards. Tradition dictates it, after all. This morning, as I passively skipped attendance (a rarity, let me assure you), I asked myself what it would make a church the kind of place that I'd enjoy attending again. Here are the conditions I came to.
- A refreshed take on the concept of community. We have an abundance of examples of how today's individual handles community and interaction. Churches see little--if any--of these new trends. Give up the pomp and circumstance and focus on the user experience--and what they're actually supposed to be experiencing.
- No more random sermons. The message for the service should not be at the speaker's whim. Keep it coherent! Set a chronological order (hmm; the beginning-to-end of the holy scripture of denominational choice sounds like a good start) and work with it to completion and audience comprehension; then go on to the next logical progression. Take a path and follow it to its end.
- Follow a Rabbi. Emphasis is given to find someone further along in their spiritual journey to whom you can communicate, providing you mentorship. Ask questions and get practical answers instead of sitting in a pew regurgitating arbitrary cliches.
- Network with other disciples. A 1:1 ratio is near impossible, so it would behoove a participant to glean from other students of the same mentor. This would alleviate burden upon the mentor as well as foster giving as well as taking among his advisees. Discussion groups and informal classes could sprout from here in a way that Sunday/Sabbath schools could if better emphasized.
- Cut the entertainment. It's not a show; it's a way to improve your life. This is why no one with a critical mind takes church seriously. Music and drama and ambiance; is it a church or a theater? Dedicate yourself to your beliefs.
Naturally, these changes would completely change the way church works. Still, I don't see them as being threatening to any core value of any major religion. A lot of non-western religions follow these concepts to greater implementation in society. If I could find one that suited my taste, maybe I could enjoy attending church again.