Seventy-five years ago most people worked on farms or in factories. These people had very little interaction with their community during the week. Church, on Sunday, was a place to spend time with friends. Fifty years ago, television was mostly live entertainment broadcast in black and white. Church was also live, but without the box, and in full color. There were no video or audio tapes. There were few religious books other than the Bible. Radio was interesting and entertaining, but filled with static.
The typical person attending church depended on the pastor for all of his or her religious instruction. Churches did not have to compete for the hearts and minds of people who had a need to visit friends and hear the word of God as preached by a Pastor who had a personal relationship with most of the people attending his church. Fifty years ago, the music and the sermon at most churches sounded as good or better than anything else anyone heard all week long. The Christian church led contemporary culture in most parts of the developed world during this period in the middle of the twentieth century.
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2 comments:
True. All true. Modern church practice has lost relevance. Good or bad... doesn't matter is just true. How will the church adjust to the new situation. Will it adapt to meet the REAL needs people have? I liked your post - made me think. I'll be interested to hear how you think the church should adapt to the situation you outline.
David,
In looking through your posts (which I enjoyed) I see a recuring theme, the making of observers out of the people of God. They are not to be pew warmers. The gifts of pastor, evangelist, teacher, prophet, and apostle, are for the maturing of the church for works of service to God. In other words, when they do there job, they do themselves out of a job. That I think is God's plan, and opens new fields of service to those ministrys. Ever expanding, to the whole world.
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