I lied

I am amazed at how Christians (and people in general) can get so hung up on what they are accustomed to that they completely miss the heart. For example, I go to a worship service at 6:30pm on Sunday that is comprised primarily of 20-somethings. Often times a conversation will arise where I say that I do not go to church on Sunday morning, I go to an evening service, and just about every time I get a funny look or a rediculous comment. Even those that I go to church with tell me, "You should really come to the morning service." It's all I can do to keep from rolling my eyes. I overheard a comment the other day (in an encouraging tone), "You know, I think that's the only service that (so and so) goes to."

OF COURSE IT IS!!! WHY WOULD I GO TO ANOTHER ONE?!

The service I go to is two hours long... at least. We spend about a half hour in worship, probably 15 minutes or so in prayer, a half hour to 45 minutes listening a message which is almost exclusively taken directly from scripture, then break into small groups and discuss for 15 minutes or so. What am I missing that would require my attendence in a church pew? I was describing the worship and the style to a friend of mine and he asked a very appropriate and pointed question, "Do you find it difficult to get fed at services like that?" I said, "Normally I would, except that the pastors speak almost exclusively out of the Word. Every message is a scriptural analysis and application. In the past year there has been ONE topical series." My friend has correctly perceived that most "young" and experiential worship services are usually pretty light on spiritual meat and heavy on the milk. This one is not. In fact, I would definitively say that I get a lot more meat out of this church than I have from most of the previous churches I have attended.

Sometimes I think that people are seriously hung up on the fact that the service doesn't happen at 9:00am. I'll be honest, I don't really like my churches "regular" services. I don't much care for the worship because it strikes me as disingenuine and rehearsed. The messages don't reach me and the speaking style doesn't appeal to me. I'm sorry, but I don't care for the "Open with a joke, 1st point, scripture, 2nd point, scripture, 3rd point, prayer, benediction" style. It doesn't challenge me intellectually and it doesn't captivate me stylistically. I'll steal something my cousin once told me to describe the third reason I don't care for the morning services: My non-lutheran cousin was attending a Lutheran church because at least when she went there she didn't expect to talk to anyone and wasn't dissappointed when she didn't. When she went to evangelical churches she would get frustrated because the service was supposed to be engaging but no one made any attempt to engage her. At lutheran services she could at least be meditative because everyone was there to do their thing and go home.

In the words of a Tennessee chaplain, "I don't understand how churches can have bulletins. Did the Spirit show up last week and tell you how he was going to move?"

Now don't get me wrong: I love evangelicals. I am one. Just don't ask me to go to their worship services.