Are today's churches entertainment factories?

[michel]

[PART QUOTE=NetDoc]
I worship at a church of Christ here in Orlando Florida. Traditionally, we are a'capella.

............"Unfortunately, I find that there is nothing in the scriptures that would compel anyone to sing without instruments. While it's a wondeful tradition, it is nothing more!"..............

[/PART QUOTE]
err..I beg to differ; you ought to hear the congregation at our local Church; the organ is used primarilly to drown the sound of mice having their necks wrung!

 

[Scuba Pete]

Ah Michel,

We have people who come from many miles just for the a'cappela singing. I have heard it better in only one place: Crossroads church of Christ in Gainesville Florida. Sherwin Mcintosh and Jerome Williams were the song leaders and they were AWESOME. The Hallelujah Chorus never sounded as full as when 800+ happy Christians in a tight harmony raised the roof off of that building.

Yet while I am sure that God smiled when that was sung, he smiles just as clearly as when a single solitary voice croaks out something in his praise. We look at the outward appearances, and they are not without merit. God looks inwardly, and can see if the "joyful noise" is in praise of him, whether the noise is vocal or instrumental.

 

[glasgowchick]

Yes Glasgowchick,

I worship at a church of Christ here in Orlando Florida. Traditionally, we are a'capella.

Unfortunately, I find that there is nothing in the scriptures that would compel anyone to sing without instruments. While it's a wondeful tradition, it is nothing more!

EEWRED... sorry. There should have been a smiley after "heretical". My point is that there are MANY differences of opinions that all have equal weight in light of the scriptures. Your view of no instruments is no more heretical than my view that they should be allowed.

As for Christian Pharisees, I did not accuse you of BEING one, but I don't want you to go down that dark path either. If it appeared that I did, I apologise, and am also sorry that I did not see your post earlier to make this clarification.

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. NIV

Notice, if you will, the "whatever you do" clause here. I would suggest that this more than implies that what was said before it is not the ONLY way to worship the living God. There is no prohibition of instrumental music, only the admonition to sing. There is also no prohibition of microphones or physical amplification, though none were used back then. There is also no prohibition of AC, though it was not used back then either.

Hi Netdoc, thanks for your reply, Please correct me if I am wrong but are there any churches of Christ over in the states that use musical instruments. I don't know if I have picked someone up wrongly on this issue, but I think I have heard that some do use instruments, our church here in the Uk is a cappella....

 

[Scuba Pete]

Yes, there are GC! This is part of what casued the split between chuches of Christ and the churches of God a hundred years ago.

While I LOVE the tradition, Jesus made it plain that we should not treat traditions as the commandments of God.

Mark 7:5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"


6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." 14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " NIV

Now, traditions have their place:

I Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, (traditions) just as I passed them on to you. NIV

But we should never draw lines in the sand that God did not specifically draw.

 

[Stormygale]

Growing up in the church world myself, churches for the most part have become enterainment factories to draw in money. Church is a big business. Capitalizing on it has become an art. When will people start to realize that, and take an action against such things....
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Growing up I witnessed preachers living in the best of houses, driving two and three cadillacs, and rolling wealth, while, the people of the congregation were well below the bracket of good living, and still were handing in offerings to these preachers. It hurt me on how I looked at the church world.

 

[Scuba Pete]

While some churches (and evangelists) are definitely "profit" oriented, there are still many who are indeed "prophet" oriented. They will have to give an account just as you and me.

 

[michel]

Growing up in the church world myself, churches for the most part have become enterainment factories to draw in money. Church is a big business. Capitalizing on it has become an art. When will people start to realize that, and take an action against such things....
-
Growing up I witnessed preachers living in the best of houses, driving two and three cadillacs, and rolling wealth, while, the people of the congregation were well below the bracket of good living, and still were handing in offerings to these preachers. It hurt me on how I looked at the church world.

Whoa there!! Your profile doesn't say where you come from; but I am from England.

Here, the priests have little old cars that are falling apart - for the most part (and I have come across quite a few C of E vicars), they live a modest life, with the genuine intention of serving the comunity in their own vocational way.

Don't tar all religion with the one brush!:149:

 

[Scuba Pete]

Pssssst, Michel

Look at his avatar for his locale.

 

[michel]

Pssssst, Michel

Look at his avatar for his locale.

There are times I am so slow, I really have to laugh at myself!!!:biglaugh:

 

[Scuba Pete]

Don't laugh yet, it's really more of an assumption on my part. I am not the ONLY one to do that on this board!

 

[Stormygale]

You see, Michael, in Texas, for the most part, religion is a VERY big business. I am sorry you presumed that all religions are being tarred and tainted by my post. No harm was intended there. Churches in our so called, 'southern bible belt' are big time. Preachers drive up in luxury cars, the best suits, and gold rings. This I see over and over. I grew up under such a thing. lOL. Anyway, yea, if you came to Texas, you would see the way churches are here, and I think, from the way you sounded about priests there, you would be quite shocked at the differences....