Boring Meetings

Dear Ben,

Hi, I don’t think we’ve met before. My name is Tim and I read your article in the Tidings. I generally don’t read the Tidings but my uncle gave it to me to look at. I thought I’d write you to let you know about things I have a problem with. I don’t mean to turn you into a “Dear Abby” or anything, but if you could get back to me that’d be cool.

I really don’t like going to meeting. Not so much because I don’t believe, more because it’s boring. I have a lot of good friends from other religions. Actually most go to a community church we have in our city. It’s non­denominational, but it’s cool. They do fun activities like organizing sports. They have their own gym and I go down there a lot to play basketball with the guys. On Sunday their pastor gives talks that I find interesting. Our talks on Sunday at meeting are pretty dry and hard to listen to.

Both my parents are baptized but they don’t really go consistently. It’s mostly my uncle’s family who tries to get me to go. I don’t know exactly what to do. I feel sort of like I’m being pressured. I just thought I’d run things by you. I just thought you might give me a good perspective and I liked your other article.

Thanks for reading this and I hope to hear from you soon.

Tim

Dear Tim,

Don’t feel strange about writing. I like getting emails from people and it’s certainly nice to be able to address a question someone has sent. The very fact that you’ve written tells me that you don’t feel comfortable with the current situation and that you’re trying to find answers. I think that attitude is good. Keep looking, and hopefully I can help you look in the right places.

I’m sorry to hear that meeting is not very much fun. Let’s probe this a bit. When you go to meeting what would you like to see? What sort of talks would you like to hear? What would make it more fun? Maybe if we can look at these things, we can see why you have the reaction you do. But I understand how you feel because once I didn’t look forward to meeting either.

I’m a pretty hyperactive person so it’s hard for me to sit down for long periods of time, just ask my teachers. There were other times when I wanted to watch a football game or I knew some of my school friends would be doing something on Sunday and I wanted to participate. In the end though, I always went. I should thank my parents for that. Growing up in our household it was never a question of whether or not you were going to attend meeting on Sunday. You were going and that was pretty much the end of the discussion.

Many people have commented at one time or another that meeting isn’t a fun place. And perhaps we as a community should take this to heart a bit more. Christadelphians in general are a fairly reactionary bunch. I say this with some hesitation but hear me out.

Christadelphians want to be different. They want to serve God with reverence and fear and in the style of the first century. Furthermore they react to other communities around them that are more “evangelical” or “charismatic.” Some churches put on more of a “show” to attract attendance. You know what I’m talking about. They use guitars in their music which has a contemporary beat, unlike our hymns. Often there is audience interaction and even so-called healings are featured. The sermons are very much geared to the lives and struggles of today’s world with the accent on entertainment value. Their talks tend to be short on scripture and long on personal experience and human interest stories which people find inspirational. Doctrine is not emphasized because orthodoxy is assumed and “lighter” topics are popular.

Nevertheless, Christadelphians may have something to learn from these other Christians. Their appeal is very popular and many feel comfortable attending these services. Moreover many churches organize very popular youth events. I know churches that sponsor ski trips, hiking trips, excursions to baseball games; they organize a church softball team, and many other fun activities. My observation is that Christadelphian communities react to these activities by holding fast to tradition and being more “conservative.” That opinion is certainly up for debate and it will vary from ecclesia to ecclesia, but I believe it to be mostly true. However we can learn from other organizations because we all are social creatures who need to be enjoying healthy activities that help to hold us together. Some change and innovation can be good. If there is no piano or pianist available, but a guitarist is offering his or her services, our hymns can be reverentially offered to the Lord with this stringed instrument. We need to adapt and praise our God with our abilities and our talents.

Yet, if Christadelphians err, they err on the side of reverence. We as a body put forward the concept that the Bible should center our Sunday school, CYC, and worship services. Rather than bring the world into our ecclesias, we believe our ecclesias should be a haven that one can seek refuge in to get away from the world. Our CYC classes focus on a study and understanding of scripture that should yield a practical and worthwhile understanding.

We rotate speakers every Sunday. Perhaps one Sunday you will hear a really good speaker and another Sunday you might hear someone who is just learning or doesn’t feel as comfortable speaking in front of groups. At the very least it spreads out responsibility among various brethren, which is better than all the responsibility being on one pastor. Most importantly, don’t forget the purpose of coming to meeting on Sunday is not just to be entertained by a top­notch speaker – that’s part of the benefit, but the primary purpose of an exhortation is to encourage the body and help prepare them for the breaking of bread. It is the memorial service for which we gather every Sunday, and no matter how good or how bad the exhortation is, we must try to focus on the memorials and find meaning in them.

Let me try to elaborate a little bit more on Sunday morning exhortations. In contrast to many Christian communities, our Sunday morning talks try not to focus directly on ourselves but on the Word of God and on how God has incorporated us into His gracious plan of salvation. We don’t try to fit the Word of God into our mold, we want to fit our lives into His Word. If there is anything that sets our community apart, it is the Bible, and Hallelujah for that!

Furthermore, I think it is beautiful that we should try to frame our services after the first century. Many people and even devout Christians say that the Bible was written for Bible times and much of its content is for when people drove in chariots, not in cars. I challenge anyone to find me a verse that says that I may disregard Bible teaching whenever the “times” (a.k.a. humanism or human philosophies) don’t agree with it. The Bible promises that “As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Num. 14:21). Does that sound like the scope of the Bible’s message is limited to just a certain time and place? If the earth is to be filled with God’s glory, then His message is relevant to all humankind from all times and places.

Concerning various activities in our group, as Christadelphians we organize fun activities but not activities that seek to bring the world into our community. For example, I would be absolutely opposed to an officially organized and ecclesialy sanctioned movie night. That may be fun, and I’m not saying all movies are inappropriate, but Hollywood and God are completely opposed to one another and that needs to, at the very least, be recognized by our community.

The songs that we sing may be slow placed and traditionally English in style, yet if you catch yourself while you are singing and pay attention to the words you will realize how beautiful they are. Many are pulled directly from the Psalms. Some have the power to move me to tears. “We Shall Be Like Him” is a good example. It was played very appropriately at my Grandfather’s funeral. In my opinion, much, but certainly not all, modern Christian music is trite and overstated yet under-felt. By contrast, some good examples of Christian songs are found in the “Praise the Lord” book that comes out of England. That is a wonderful publication with many effective and heartfelt fun songs.

Christadelphians are not perfect and their actions and services at times display this. Yet we try earnestly to reverence our God in our worship services and most of us leave the memorial service with a sense of joy and thanksgiving that we have had the opportunity and freedom to remember our Lord’s death and renew our desire to live more faithfully. While we may have lessons to learn from other more “fun” churches, we must also keep in mind what worship is all about.

So the best I can do is ask you to try to see in meeting on Sunday mornings the example we have been left in scripture. And never forget that we are there to worship the Lord and to pray, and sing, and praise His name. Make that the focus of your attendance and I think you will see the beauty that lies therein.

Love through Christ,
Ben Brinkerhoff