...but you get up again". I was driving home from church this morning, listening to this Chumbawumba tune, and I felt pretty good. Encouraged even. And content that, for the first time in such a long time, I felt committed to church. There's this new "Cafe Church" style service earlier on a Sunday morning aimed at approaching church in a more relaxed and informal manner. The fundamentals remain, but the format better suits my generation, the victims of the coffee shop culture and it feels like there is this community growing there that is exciting and so full of potential. We've stopped talking and we're finally doing.
So imagine how disheartened and discouraged I felt when I heard that somebody somewhere in the wider church community was gossiping about how inappropriate it was, what we were doing. How do I know this? My dad, who attends another local church, heard it from one of the older ladies in his congregation. "Well you've heard what they're doing over there. Taking out church pews and replacing them with bean bags".
Yes, somebody actually said this. No, we certainly did not remove church pews and replace them with multi coloured bean bags. How disappointing when, in fact, for those that prefer to remain a part of the traditional church service, Sunday morning life hasn't changed one little bit. And this is what hurts. Cafe church has been a well thought out and planned initiative with honourable aims to broaden the church community and make church more accessible to the younger, more modern demographic without isolating the older generations, whom we truly value.
It's unfair for people to gossip and exaggerate and criticise something that is important to people like myself and my peers, and something that is only getting started. Unfortunately, the problem stems from obstinance and a narrow mind. But we know that these characteristics aren't confined to my relatively small church community. I guess all we can do is stand strong and work even harder to make our cafe church service a success. And hope and pray that those who don't understand will understand and support us, the same way that we appreciate and support their more traditional approach. And we must all remember that it is not our place to judge, unless we are perfect. Which none of us are.
I can totally understand where you are coming from with this Debs, our church has been moving away from traditional Presbyterian church style for about 18 years and there are still those that will find fault. Basically you need to be somewhere you are getting "fed" and not somewhere where you are more concerned with the seats you sit on. You know it's right for you and all the others who go and God knows it too, He likes you being there regardless of whether you sit on a beanbag, a pew or a rubber ring if you so prefer. It's God's house, you come as you are, not how others want you to be! Hope cafe church is going great, sounds amazing!
ReplyDeletetotally understand this - our church has often been talked about negatively by the wider church circle. we seem to forget we are family.... :) narrow mindedness is indeed the problem. putting God in a box means we miss out on everything He has for us :)
ReplyDelete"It's unfair for people to gossip and exaggerate..." People have a right to feel how they feel. They have a right to an opinion. If you disagree their is no obligation to this opinion being respected of course. It's not unfair for someone not to agree with you. This is the closed minded inability to work around other peoples' beliefs that is intertwined with religeous ones.
ReplyDeleteYou have a selfish outlook if you cannot empathise with an elderly lady seeing what she thinks of as the right way to respect her religion being undermined.
Perhaps you should look at your reasoning as to why you still attend an event you wish to alter. The realisation that you'd rather be in Starbucks could be what you should have arrived at rather than altering a tradition which the elder population (who have been supporting for so much longer than you) do enjoy as it is.
On one hand Progression and evolution could be welcomed in order that new generations can enjoy what others have.
On the other hand if something is getting outdated which some of your feelings suggest you agree traditional religion is then maybe it's time to move on to things that make more sense to you.
Of course neither of you are "correct" as it's all a matter of opinion!
I didn't realise people had commented here. On re-reading my post I can assure you that I never once expressed a Starbucks preference over church. I am also aware of people's entitlement to their own opinions but there is a difference between expressing an opinion and gossiping in a way that demeans hardworking, passionate people. Age has nothing to do with that. We're all adults. My faith in God makes perfect sense to me, it's the only thing that does so you have completely misunderstood me 'anonymous'. I might pay more attention to what you have to say if it weren't so anonymous but that's another post completely.
ReplyDelete