What I Dislike About Evangelical Services

[Optimax]

If I attend a church service and all they do is read some scriptures.

I have wasted my time.

I can read scriptures anywhere.


If I attend a church service and the Preacher starts with a verse and preaches on it.

And they sermon is just telling me what I am probably doing wrong.

That is no help.

I know things that I do that are not the way I am suppose to do them.

If I attend a church service in which the Minister opens the word, read scriptures having the congregation to follow along so that they can see that the word actually says what he is saying.

Then he expounds on the scripture explaining it in clear fashion so that those hearing who will can do what the scripture says.

That is good.

That is what Jesus did.

The Real Presence of God is in that place.

 

[sunlover1]

Then he expounds on the scripture explaining it in clear fashion so that those hearing who will can do what the scripture says.

That is good.

That is what Jesus did.

The Real Presence of God is in that place.

This ^

You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.

 

[SQLservant]

Did you happen to go to a liberal Church?I recommend going to a conservative Church.

It was pretty conservative, actually. Not buns-and-dresses conservative, but morally and politically so. They were also very conscientious in talking about it, which is good in my opinion. They did, however, run a special program a couple years ago about Islam being some kind of evil genius world domination cult, so I guess it's not as level-headed about everything.

We all have our pet sins, don't we?

 

[MoreCoffee]

I I've stumbled upon a reason for why I find the average Sunday service at an Evangelical church to be shallower than a liturgical service.

Most non-Eucharistic services in Protestant churches follow the same basic structure of the Daily Office, that is, song and then instruction. However, the average Evangelical service takes the Bible out to do so! Rather than go through the Psalms, it doubles down on the hymns and anthems (or choruses and praise-n-worship songs). Proclaiming the Word of God has been cut to allow for an extended sermon. If the defining mark of Evangelicals is supposed to be their respect for Scripture, then why isn't it given more attention in their services? Why isn't the living and active Word allowed to speak for itself? Is there a reason? Am I missing something?

What do you think?

Every fellowship is different. Besides, there should be a great emphasis on strengthening each members personal relationship with God and that includes bible study outside of church service.

How many evangelical churches have you attended in the past year??
And which denominations were they?

The wagons circle, the guns come out, beware all who critique evangelical worship services ...

 

[ViaCrucis]

I I've stumbled upon a reason for why I find the average Sunday service at an Evangelical church to be shallower than a liturgical service.

Most non-Eucharistic services in Protestant churches follow the same basic structure of the Daily Office, that is, song and then instruction. However, the average Evangelical service takes the Bible out to do so! Rather than go through the Psalms, it doubles down on the hymns and anthems (or choruses and praise-n-worship songs). Proclaiming the Word of God has been cut to allow for an extended sermon. If the defining mark of Evangelicals is supposed to be their respect for Scripture, then why isn't it given more attention in their services? Why isn't the living and active Word allowed to speak for itself? Is there a reason? Am I missing something?

What do you think?

That extra time in the sermon is needed in order to whittle the congregation down to make sure you've managed to get some more people to "ask Jesus to be their personal Lord and Savior" at the "altar call" at the end of the service. Either through threat of hellfire or using flowery language to appeal to either fear, guilt, or some other base emotion. Fear and guilt are powerful tools, but so are empty promises--like God will make you to be happy, healthy, and successful; there's also appealing to a person's sense of decency, "God did this for you, so the least you can do is this" or "God loves you this much, shouldn't you also love Him in return?"

In any event the focus is on the altar call, appealing to people's emotions. And thus promoting an empty theology with an even emptier gospel.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[MoreCoffee]

Expository sermons tend to concentrate on small portions of scripture and some concentrate on a single word of a single phrase from a verse.

The Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and Church of Christ services I've been to are ordered like this:

• Opening proclamation - a verse from scripture
• Call to worship & short opening prayer
• hymns (anywhere from one to three or four)
• Reading - usually one or possibly two passages from scripture, one being the intended theme of the sermon
• Prayer before sermon
• Sermon
• Prayer of thanks after the sermon
• hymns (usually one or two)
• Dismissal or doxology

A cup of tea/coffee and cakes or biscuits (cookies for our USA readers) usually follows with chatting.

 

[Joykins]

Expository sermons tend to concentrate on small portions of scripture and some concentrate on a single word of a single phrase from a verse.

The Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and Church of Christ services I've been to are ordered like this:

• Opening proclamation - a verse from scripture
• Call to worship & short opening prayer
• hymns (anywhere from one to three or four)
• Reading - usually one or possibly two passages from scripture, one being the intended theme of the sermon
• Prayer before sermon
• Sermon
• Prayer of thanks after the sermon
• hymns (usually one or two)
• Dismissal or doxology

A cup of tea/coffee and cakes or biscuits (cookies for our USA readers) usually follows with chatting.

Usually the doxology comes after the offering, which you didn't include and I am shocked because you can always rely on that to be there.

 

[Joykins]

That extra time in the sermon is needed in order to whittle the congregation down to make sure you've managed to get some more people to "ask Jesus to be their personal Lord and Savior" at the "altar call" at the end of the service. Either through threat of hellfire or using flowery language to appeal to either fear, guilt, or some other base emotion. Fear and guilt are powerful tools, but so are empty promises--like God will make you to be happy, healthy, and successful; there's also appealing to a person's sense of decency, "God did this for you, so the least you can do is this" or "God loves you this much, shouldn't you also love Him in return?"

In any event the focus is on the altar call, appealing to people's emotions. And thus promoting an empty theology with an even emptier gospel.

Not all evangelical churches have altar calls, and those that do don't always tie it into the sermon. I went to evangelical churches until 2007 and went to the last one with a regular altar call in 1984.

 

[SQLservant]

Not all evangelical churches have altar calls, and those that do don't always tie it into the sermon. I went to evangelical churches until 2007 and went to the last one with a regular altar call in 1984.

My childhood church didn't (and doesn't) have a regular altar call either. Every now and again they'll have an "invitation," which I'll admit, never had the "poor, helpless Jesus needs you to ask him in" language that is being discussed here.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I think your position is, by and large, true.

I have attended a few Evangelical Protestant services before and found them wanting.

A return to ancient liturgical practice is something that many have begun to realize is best, and a small but growing population of Evangelical Protestants are returning to it. Heavily modified at times, but liturgical nonetheless, and I welcome it quite happily.

We recently have a Non-denominationalist attend my parish's liturgy. The youth actually said it was nice to actually hear the Holy Scriptures. That's become an increasingly popular reaction, and why many of these types of groups are beginning to loose members...or augment their services to be at least semi-liturgical.

My experience has been the same for the most part.

Thank you for the earnestness there.

What I meant above about the classroom was that the service is seen more as a means to equip one for his individual spiritual walk first, and secondarily to praise God in community and the rest.

I'm thinking of my experience in the Restorationist church I was born and raised in, mostly. While they had Communion every week, the services still followed the same general format, and at least for the current pastor, preaching is not usually expository. Not to say that that's bad, but there seems to be an imbalance, almost as if the Scriptures were primarily a collection of proverbs. It's been the same in the other church of that tradition I've visited, and in the non-denominationals as well.

The more I write, the more I feel like I might be making my claim too hastily, perhaps to hear myself give a hearty 'harumph!' to my own preferences in a church service.

The few I've been to have, more or less, been about self. There did, from my PoV, seem to be an emphasis on keeping everyone entertained.

 

[seeingeyes]

The wagons circle, the guns come out, beware all who critique evangelical worship services ...

Well, I shared that my church does not fit the description of the OP, but that was in no way to 'circle the wagons'. The fact is that the term 'evangelical' covers a very wide swath of styles from 'fundamentalist' to 'seeker-friendly', so you really don't know what you're gonna get when you head in the door. :shrug:

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

...so you really don't know what you're gonna get when you head in the door. :shrug:

That's a very big problem.

God be gracious to me a sinner.

 

[seeingeyes]

That's a very big problem.

God be gracious to me a sinner.

Yep.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Yep.

I think many do not realize that the 'canon of scripture' exists expressly for the purpose of knowing that every Church everywhere would be having the same services on the same day and in the same way, throughout all Christian Churches.

God be gracious to me a sinner.

 

[seeingeyes]

That's a very big problem.

God be gracious to me a sinner.

Also, I think that that is the biggest unspoken catalyst of 'mega-churches'.

I don't know if the church I attend officially qualifies as a 'mega-church', but it sits 1500 people for 3 sermons every sunday so it's gotta be pretty close at any rate. And when it's time to pass the plate, the pastors specifically say that they are not asking visitors to contribute.

So It's not about greedy pastors going 'elmer gantry' (though that happens, too). It's about 'evangelicals' essentially evangelizing other evangelicals out of whatever church they are in. And if you are a non-denominational church (as the one I attend is), it's not like you can just go find your own local branch of this church - there is none.

So that one congregation keeps growing and growing and growing, with some people driving two hours to service on Sunday.

Just some off-topic musings.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Not all evangelical churches have altar calls, and those that do don't always tie it into the sermon. I went to evangelical churches until 2007 and went to the last one with a regular altar call in 1984.

To be fair, I was in some ways allowing myself to be somewhat cynical. Which may have not been the best.

That said, the "New Measures" as Finney and co. called them, are more-or-less a staple of Evangelical practice; as Evangelicalism was more-or-less borne out from 19th century Revivalism.

The Gospel is presented not as the declaration of what God has objectively done for you; but rather is presented as an appeal for you to make a response toward God. As such, it's not really the Gospel, and where it is Gospel it still tends to get it backward.

And while, speaking personally, I agree: an altar call was not given every Sunday in the churches I attended in my younger days. But Gospel-as-emotional-appeal was very much consistently present. The locus was very much on the "do this", rather than the "this has been done" part. God did this, so you do that; rather than God did this, trust it.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[seeingeyes]

I think many do not realize that the 'canon of scripture' exists expressly for the purpose of knowing that every Church everywhere would be having the same services on the same day and in the same way, throughout all Christian Churches.

God be gracious to me a sinner.

That's interesting... Do you have a source for that understanding of the canon? I'd like to read up on it.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

That's interesting... Do you have a source for that understanding of the canon? I'd like to read up on it.

A study of the early ecumenical councils and the reasons why certain books were chosen to be used IN The Divine Liturgy.

I'll find you something more direct and send you a link if that's ok.

God be gracious to me a sinner.

 

[seeingeyes]

A study of the early ecumenical councils and the reasons why certain books were chosen to be used IN The Divine Liturgy.

I'll find you something more direct and send you a link if that's ok.

God be gracious to me a sinner.

Sounds great! Thanks

 

[Joykins]

There's actually a very interesting piece on the development of the canon at making light. Complete with analogies to science fiction fandom, of course.