Thursday, October 9, 2008

Revival

Preachers not only have to be good teachers; they often need to be watchful psychologists.

The average church worship service can be - let us agree - very dull at times, no?

The music doesn't connect. The message is overly stratospherical (unintentionally, of course - God forbid the preacher would leave out down-to-earthiness and everyday relevance, right?). The congregation's attention isn't there. The passages sound like Greek and Hebrew (smile). Everyone's in outer space or yawning their way there. Heck, even the pews aren't friendly.

The point is: States are value-neutral. There is nothing sinful or evil or godly about how people feel physiologically wherever they are (even and especially in church). If they're tired, they're tired. If they're moody, then they are.

But - unlike 95% of preachers in the world - one doesn't need to remain helpless. Preachers needn't do nothing if they're aware that they're "losing" their audience. Think about it: it only takes a FEW minutes of the service time to:
  • get people talking to each other (about the sermon, about the day, about one thing God has impressed upon their heart in the past 24 hours, etc.)
  • get people to write down two things they like best about the sermon on post-it notes and exchange them w each other
  • get people to find out one interesting thing about someone he doesn't know very well
  • get people to massage the person on the left / right
  • get people to play a quick game or do a quiz


These activites (and others like it) take up little time, are not at all 'ungodly' and helps revive a tired congregation's spirits. Given that merry hearts doeth much good, why shouldn't these be encouraged (more) in church?

2 comments:

blogpastor said...

Because it is not dignified and not in the order of service! ha

Anonymous said...

all of the activities can be done 'with dignitiy and order' mah...:)