44 Thoughts on worship and church, volume 2.

I‘m a big fan of doodling and writing as part of an engaged listening process. A small but integral part of my brain is reserved for matters of faith; areas of spiritual inquiry that frequently have no concrete or entirely satisfactory answers…yet are important to my identity, thought process, world view, and convictions. There are many ways to worship with like- and unlike-minded peoples; attending a church is merely one of those ways.

What do I know? I don’t know. Except that I’ve sat through a lot of sermons and been in a lot of churches and documented, all throughout, my observations and experiences. These are raw. Many are questions. Who am I and what do I know? I don’t know. Maybe not a lot. But I do write things I think about down.

Over the last couple years, I’ve specifically been scribbling notes, on the occasions we’re in a (formal) church, about my experiences, observations, criticisms, and ideas about the nature of (formal) worship. The number 44 is an arbitrary number I chose many years ago to organize various thoughts around. So when I get to 44 with something, I call it quits and start something new.

(here’s a link to volume 1 - numbers 1-6)

And here are 44 assorted thoughts on worship and church, volume 2 (numbers 7-14)

——

Opening haiku.

To build foundations
that are roots, not brittle-weak;
doctrines that can breathe.

Loading dock at Pendleton Woolen Mill in Washougal, WA, 2021

No shortcuts.

Converse hightops and well-groomed beards do not (necessarily) provide a foundation for connecting with Millennials

(note: The same principle applies to Gen Alpha as pastors look to connect with them as they come of age into teen- and young adulthood. Trendy fashion choices say nothing of (positive) import when it comes to connecting, actually connecting, or at least having a tenuous thread of attention and respect with any generation.

On kids and participation.

Children can close their eyes; they can show reverence and respect; they can learn by kneeling, folding hands, and learning to

joyfully express gratitude,
ask for help, for ourselves and others, and
to observe and comment on the beauties around us.

They can do this. We can expect them to, we can show first and foremost by giving our attention, by staying off our phones, and by being engaged. We can expect them to rise. Much of the time, they will.

They can learn. We can model. By showing them ourselves,

by gently correcting back onto course when needed, and
by setting expectations that they are capable of showing respect during the act of prayer and worship.

Red flag / DEFCON bad.

I cannot take seriously a preacher, a spiritual leader who supports President 45 from a pulpit or stage. No. And don’t dare try drawing Biblical analogies to Cyrus, David, or Solomon as examples of flawed heroes that God used and how the same thing is happening now. Yes, they were heroes. This man now? Nope.

Nope. Don’t even try.