WHATCHU TALKIN BOUT WILLIS?

I grew up when Diff'rent Strokes was a popular television show. That's no big deal unless your last name is Willis. To this day I still hear those famous words popularized by Arnold: "Whatchu talkin bout Willis?" Usually they are uttered by someone looking at me as though I may have never heard it before. Yeah, right! Well this blog is what I (Willis) am talkin bout...my thoughts, observations & opinions. Enjoy...



Friday, February 05, 2010

Missed Church?

Last Sunday our leadership decided to "cancel church" because of a serious snow storm that hit our area. As a result of "missing church" I have given some serious consideration to what exactly was missed. I'm one of those guys who mocks people who watch "church" on TV and I'm also a little uncomfortable with churches using video sermons, so I was surprised by my own introspection. I asked my wife Sunday to be honest and tell me what we missed by staying home. How would you answer that? If your church cancelled last week what did you miss? Think about it. Some people opted for TV church (or internet streaming church) and I have a sneaky feeling that it wasn't too different from actual church (minus the fuel expense & travel time). So what what was missed???
  • Watching a sermon? (I know I'd like to believe that's true since I'm the guy delivering the sermon). This could however be accomplished by TV or at least via a podcast.
  • Singing? From my observation most folks aren't singing at church anyway, but if you're an exception you could still sing at home. You could even pick the music and sit and stand as you please!
  • Giving? Online giving is an option (though some folks want to deliver the check as an act of worship just like Biblical times).
  • The Lord's Supper? Now I'm sure you're thinking that here is the place where attendance is required. Really? I don't know about the church you're a part of, but most churches I'm familiar with make COMMUNION basically a private event...complete with indvidiuals in various forms of the holy fetal position around the room (errr... sanctuary) with mini-shot glasses (errrr....cups) & chiclets (errr... bread) in their hands with their eyes firmly closed in funerary contemplation. This goes off the same whether there are 2 or 200 people in the room.
  • Prayer? Since only one guy usually prays I'm not sure how to handle this one. Most of the church prayers are generalities and fairly detatched from the lives of the people.
  • Fellowship? If you mean walking by people in the hall or chatting briefly about the weather or football or American Idol then I could see where this would be difficult to do on your couch. But, honestly, fellowship is mostly non-existent in "church services" and we know it! We have about as much fellowship as people have at the movies - think about it.
So what's my point? Something is wrong with what "church" has become. We really aren't that far from our "TV church" attending friends in reality and that should scare the you know what out of us!

That's what I'm talkin bout.

8 comments:

The Seeking Disciple said...

And thus that is why I love house churches. In many ways, the house church incorporates the home life more into the fellowship of saints than in the traditional buildings.

Good post! It makes people think!

Soren said...

I just started reading "Why We Love the Church" -- by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. I'm only three chapters into it, but I'm loving it so far. You have to overlook some reformed theology, but I think you will appreciate what they have to say about the CHurch.

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Russ Dennis said...

to answer your question, you must answer why do we even have church. its not for giving, evangelizing, praying, etc... you correctly state that pretty much all of that you can go at home in some ways.

i believe that the purpose that Christ established the church was for believers to be able to edify and exhort one another. that is why we are to not forsake meeting (Heb. 10:25).

there is no place more suited to edify the most fellow Christians than church. by developing relationships with these people you increase the effeictivness of ministering to them.

church is not supposed to be a passive, audience-driven experience. it is to be active.

thanks,

russ

background: i'm currently a grad student and on part-time staff at a Baptist church in Ames, IA.

David H. Willis said...

Russ,
Thanks for stopping in. I appreciate your comments.

Larry said...

I see your blog has turned to shit. No post in 39 days. Because Im watching you and exposing your fraud ass on my blog under the feature "This Week In Dave the Fraud".

Gotten tired of being exposed???

Why didnt you attempt to refute my Christmas article? The one about Jesus' birthday being celebrated on the last day of Saturnalia, which is only the most pagan festival that has ever existed. Why dont YOU do stories on Jesus' birthday being celebrated on the date of a pagan festival?

Hmmmmmmm.

LOL

David H. Willis said...
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