Today was a horrible day at church.
There, I said it. And I'm not taking it back. It really was bad.
It started at the very beginning of the service when the microphones weren't working. It's been said that the devil resides in the AV system, and it appeared that was the case today.
Then, because it was our annual Women's Focus Sunday, the order of service was a little different from usual, so people were confused. Yes, things were printed in our bulletin, but weekly habits are hard to break. So many people were doing the things that we usually do, in the order in which we usually do them, but today, that was all wrong. And one of the associate ministers stood up to tell us so. That was inappropriate, embarrassing, and just plain bad.
The Praise and Worship Team very poorly sang a song that the choir nor the congregation knew, and that was a mess. The choir was a mess, and I can say that cause I'm a choir member. I sang a solo and I also was a mess. My voice gave out and I had to clear my throat in the middle of my verse. Again... embarrassing and just plain bad.
The guest minister seemed to read most of her sermon and, for the most part, I found her to be boring. Her points didn't hang together in a way that kept me interested, I wanted to fall asleep, I tell you, church was just bad today. But let me ask you a question...
Why is that something we don't like to say?
We'll say that a day at work was bad. We'll say that a concert or movie was bad. We'll even say that a visit with family or friends was bad. But good church girls hardly ever say that church was bad, when the truth of the matter is, sometimes it is.
This isn't at all to suggest that God is bad or any less awesome than we know Him to be. It's just that, from time to time, we earthly beings fall a little short of worshiping Him in a manner befitting all that He is or in a manner that feeds us the way we need to be fed. We try, but sometimes the AV doesn't work and the choir sounds a mess and the minister is boring.
I know what you're thinking. "Maybe it was just you, Gail! Maybe the problem was in your attitude." I hear you. That's a logical statement and there are times when that's been the case.
But not today.
And I know this because I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I looked around the sanctuary. I saw the blank stares, the agitated jitters, and the sly glances at the watches. I saw people nodding off to sleep, trying their best to escape the madness.
During the serrice I had my share of side conversations with people who were equally in awe of this horrible service. And the second after the benediction was recited, we collectively ran to the exit door as if there was someone in church parking lot giving away brand new shoes. Nice ones.
But thank God for second chances!
If the Lord is willing and if the creek don't rise (as the old folks used to say), we'll have another chance at church next Sunday. I'll let you know how it goes.
There, I said it. And I'm not taking it back. It really was bad.
It started at the very beginning of the service when the microphones weren't working. It's been said that the devil resides in the AV system, and it appeared that was the case today.
Then, because it was our annual Women's Focus Sunday, the order of service was a little different from usual, so people were confused. Yes, things were printed in our bulletin, but weekly habits are hard to break. So many people were doing the things that we usually do, in the order in which we usually do them, but today, that was all wrong. And one of the associate ministers stood up to tell us so. That was inappropriate, embarrassing, and just plain bad.
The Praise and Worship Team very poorly sang a song that the choir nor the congregation knew, and that was a mess. The choir was a mess, and I can say that cause I'm a choir member. I sang a solo and I also was a mess. My voice gave out and I had to clear my throat in the middle of my verse. Again... embarrassing and just plain bad.
The guest minister seemed to read most of her sermon and, for the most part, I found her to be boring. Her points didn't hang together in a way that kept me interested, I wanted to fall asleep, I tell you, church was just bad today. But let me ask you a question...
Why is that something we don't like to say?
We'll say that a day at work was bad. We'll say that a concert or movie was bad. We'll even say that a visit with family or friends was bad. But good church girls hardly ever say that church was bad, when the truth of the matter is, sometimes it is.
This isn't at all to suggest that God is bad or any less awesome than we know Him to be. It's just that, from time to time, we earthly beings fall a little short of worshiping Him in a manner befitting all that He is or in a manner that feeds us the way we need to be fed. We try, but sometimes the AV doesn't work and the choir sounds a mess and the minister is boring.
I know what you're thinking. "Maybe it was just you, Gail! Maybe the problem was in your attitude." I hear you. That's a logical statement and there are times when that's been the case.
But not today.
And I know this because I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I looked around the sanctuary. I saw the blank stares, the agitated jitters, and the sly glances at the watches. I saw people nodding off to sleep, trying their best to escape the madness.
During the serrice I had my share of side conversations with people who were equally in awe of this horrible service. And the second after the benediction was recited, we collectively ran to the exit door as if there was someone in church parking lot giving away brand new shoes. Nice ones.
But thank God for second chances!
If the Lord is willing and if the creek don't rise (as the old folks used to say), we'll have another chance at church next Sunday. I'll let you know how it goes.
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