Baptists and their sacred cows

natters!!! You don't get it, do ya man???!!

The clock struck twelve and the church gave up her dead!!

Think about it!!

 

The clock here too. I notice that the older folks (no offense intended) will get up and leave at noon sharp regardless of what's going on. I have actually almost been knocked down by a "kind old lady" trying to get out of the door faster than me. It's a joke between my husband and I...watch out, here comes the pushers....it must be the blue hair. LOL. Really, I think it's crazy how people are so set in their ways and their particular pews also... let the man preach for ten more minutes and be respectful please!

 

Dear Todd,
Your post bothers me a little. Since it is a Baptist church, I am glad a member felt free to ask a question about something that had changed in the budget, rather than your seeming implication "everything was going well until" that people should just rubberstamp what was done beforehand.

Also, from another point of view, I used to get those oranges and apples, too. There were plenty of kids around me for whom that present from the church was their only Christmas present.
I hope you don't replace that custom with nothing, but with something appropriate to your church's situation and your community's needs now. Maybe that was what your elderly member was really trying to achieve.

Karen

 

I hear what you're saying, LOL, but sometimes there are good reasons. An elderly man in my church used to leave right at 12:00, regardless, because he had extremely advanced diabetes and was on a very strict injection schedule. But he did always try to be unobtrusive.
Others that work on Sunday afternoons will quietly leave when they have to rather than not come at all. And I'm glad they come.

Karen

 

What would happen in your church if someone wanted to move the location of the Communion Table?

 

That reminds me of another sacred cow in many Baptist churches in the U.S.A. And that is DEAD SILENCE required. Now, of course, I try to listen attentively to the sermon, but it should not be the end of the world for my listening ability if some little kid behind me has a little trouble being quiet.
We often seem to think that a sermon isn't one unless it is long (very) and received in silence except for some amen's.

Karen

 

We not only have a drum set that is played every service, we have a whole percussion section, including "Kettle" drums. And I've been playing trumpet in our orchestra since 1991.

 

BTW, noon isn't an issue at our church. We broke out of the sacred cow of service starting at 11 several years ago. We have two services, 8:30 for early risers and 10:00 for everyone else. The only reason the parking lot isn't clear before 11:30 is due to all the fellowship after the service. I can go to Bible study, worship service, get home and fix Sunday lunch from scratch, and be through in the kitchen by 12:30. I don't remember anyone complaining about sermon length since we moved the time to a more sensible hour.

I have always believed starting services at 11 harkened back to the days of horse and buggy, when it took half a day to do chores and get to church.

 

We observe this custom, too - and for the same reason. We pick up kids all through the year, and sometimes it feels as though we're the only ones cleaning them, feeding them properly, and teaching them about God. They are our children. There is no reason we shouldn't share gifts in an appropriate manner.

 

Old Timer,

So why will the entire population of the Earth be worshipping the LORD on the Sabbath day in the Millenium - the Kingdom of God ? -- ISA. 66:23

The same with the Feast of Tabernacles - Zech. 14: 16-19.

 

Did you know too, that we are commanded to keep the Passover?? Right here in the NT era!!!

 

Liturgy - God forbid we actually read Scripture together in Church or even confess what we believe.

Lord's Supper - We have preaching every Sunday but only quarterly or monthly observance of the ordinance given to us to remember His Death.
Why not every Sunday?!

 

Sunday Evening Worship Services. We have them even though the majority votes not to!

 

Now hold on just a minute! If you're accomplishing something on Sunday night, it's not a sacred cow! We have Awana, Youth Outreach, and yes - a traditional service for the "big people" on Sunday night! (These things combine in a very non-traditional way, and people seem to enjoy it. As a matter of fact, our PM attendance rivals our AM attendance in number.)

 

We have a much more relaxed family time on Sunday Nights. The crowd is certainly less than the morning, but it is also when they do certain membership classes, the teens and young adults do some activities, and things like that. Our evening service is a 5pm, so we get together with our Adult Bible Fellowship classes after the service more than if we had the traditional 6 or 7 pm service.

It works out so you have just enough time to grab some lunch, get the kiddies down for a nap, and unwind for an hour before Choir Practice. If not for the nap time, I would recommend we start the service at 4pm.

I know of one church in Wisconsin that has a very old stone church building, and they have their services together with lunch between so they don't have to heat their building all day on Sunday.

Sunday evening is a fine thing to have, but I wouldn't consider it a sacred cow, if your church for whatever reason chooses not to do it, thats what autonomy is all about. The Baptist Pope will make not derogatory statements about you, now as far as other brothers in Christ, I can't speak for them, and the pharisees will probably want to stone you for your liberalism

 

Baptists can have quite a large number of sacred cows. Over my years (O.K.: decades) as a Baptist, I've recognized entires herds at times. Before anyone gets all out of sorts at the list I'm about to provide, first realize that I'm speaking of these as being broad generalizations over time. These may or may not be as rigid today as they once were, and they may not be all-encompassing.

Sunday evening services. Not a Biblical mandate. Became the norm among Baptists after about the 1940's. In many Baptist circles though, it would be unthinkable to not conduct them.

The order of worship. Opening song/prayer/announcements/more hymns & special music/another prayer/offering/sermon/alter call. [With some slight variations.] Why, we've always done it exactly in this order!

Organ music. Baptists must have organ music! Other instruments may be used from time-to-time, but we've got to have an organ!

Suits & ties for men. Again, relatively recent. I visited a Baptist church some years ago dressed in nice slacks, collared shirt, and a nice sweater. One of the ushers actually came over to me and scolded me for "not dressing properly for church!"

No open-toed shoes for women. This one, thankfully, has largely died out. Yet I remember a time when these were preached against in some churches as not being appropriate on Christian/Baptist women!

No facial hair on men. Not as big of a deal as it was in the 60's or 70's, but not entirely dead yet either.

Sunday Schools. Don't get me wrong- I'm all for Sunday Schools. I teach in Sunday School (& have for a long time). But they're not a Biblical mandate, and didn't exist before the early 19th century. Yet many would find it unthinkable to ever question the format of Sunday Schools.

Midweek services. Once again, don't get me wrong here. I'm all for midweek services. But it shouldn't be forgotten that they are also a fairly recent addition to churches.

The translation of the Bible used. This one doesn't ever stir up any controversy, does it?

The Hymnal used. Ever seen some churches debate the purchase of new/different hymnals? You'd think they were debating switching from using the Bible to using the Koran!

The proper starting time of services. In some churches it's as if this has somewhere been carved in stone. "We must start our Sunday morning worship at 11:00! It's always been done that way!"

Alter-calls at the end of every service. To some Baptists, it would be unthinkable to not end every service with an alter-call (with 17 choruses of "Just As I Am"). Of course, alter-calls are another relatively recent addition to the church.

These are just a few. I know there are many others. Basically, anything that we do based upon tradition or out of custom; that becomes nearly unthinkable to question; is a sacred cow.

 

blackbird,

Why not start a half hour ealier, and they they would be out befor noon. Oh wait that would be killing another sacred cow wouldn't it.


Bill