The need for silence in the church
Silence in blogging is not the only need for Christians. How about in the church? Bill Gnade thinks the church is far too noisy, particularly with microphones, amplifiers, and "praise" songs that speak more about the singers than about God:
There is indeed something entangling the Church today, with chords and currents and the din of anything but His voice. God does not speak to His people in any manner that damages their hearing, their hearts, their souls. It is not Him speaking at concert levels. He is in the silence drowned out by the din, the cacophony.The Western world is obsessively afraid of silence. As much as the church assimilates the values of the world, so are we.
What the Church is hearing is itself.
posted by Milton Stanley at 8:09 AM
5 Comments:
The noise level in our sanctuary prior to the morning service has bothered me a great deal. There is always time for fellowship after. I have found it very difficult to prepare for worship with all the noise preceding the service.
Also, as someone who plays the organ or piano during the worship service, I have been asked to "crank up the volume" by the pastor because he says it gets the congregation singing louder. I have very sensitive hearing, becaues I generally come away with a headache.
I used to play in a praise band and worship with a congregation where the organist even noodled around on the keyboard during prayers. Now, I'm happy to worship in an a capella Church of Christ where, because we use no instruments or tapes, etc., the noise level is reduced considerably.
Thank you, Milton, for your encouragement.
I, too, recall a time when the praise leader at a local evangelical church "noodled" on the piano during prayers, even though he had called us all to be silent! He was oblivious to his own noise, seemingly content to add a soundtrack to what was to be a silent offering.
Crazy and true.
A cappella. Ahh, the beauty.
Peace!
Gnade
And thank you, Bill, for joining in the discussion.
Thanks for your comments, Phil, and praise God that you have the joyful priviledge of meeting God in quiet. Peace.
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