The Sin of Boring Church

Earlier, a conversation happening at UNCO asked the question "Why can't we get as excited about church as we do about the new Star Wars movie?"

As someone who engages with the meeting places of faith and culture, I've thought about this question before.
As someone who leads worship and preaches, leading a congregation in faith formation, I've thought about this question before.
I knew my answer.

Boring church is a sin. #unco16

— David Hansen (@rev_david) May 17, 2016

While I am prone to hyperbole (aren't all preachers?) I really believe this to be true.

My friend Tripp Hudgins called me out on this, and invited me to a deeper, more nuanced conversation about it.

Yeah, but the liturgical service is not the sum total of our activities. Must it be always exciting? 1/2 https://t.co/0TJHC2miQF

— Tripp Hudgins (@tripphudgins) May 17, 2016

And on the afternoon of the seventh day the LORD said, "I'm bored." #unco16

— Tripp Hudgins (@tripphudgins) May 17, 2016

Now, let me be clear - Tripp is one of the smartest people I know. He has spent years studying worship, and I learn a lot from him. We agree on much more than we disagree on - and in our disagreement I continue to learn from his wisdom.

(Read Tripp's counterpoint to this post - "In Praise of Boredom")

Now, to the point.

The church has been entrusted with one of the most exciting stories ever. A story filled with drama and intrigue, with humor and sadness, with celebration and sorrow.

Yes, the overarching story - the story of creation and redemption, of God and the world.
But also the stories within the story - stories of death and resurrection, of adventure and betrayal, or redemption and romance.

Most people experience our telling of this powerful story like Mr Bean:


The church has been handed this gift - these powerful, world-changing stories - and all too often we tell them as if they are as exciting as watching paint dry.

And that's a sin.

It is a disservice to and misuse of the gift that God has entrusted to us. 

Not all of our proclamation is needs to be "exciting" - it's not about turning the church nonstop into the adrenaline rush of watching Rey pilot the Millennium Falcon (although there are moments like that).
But our proclamation should always be engaging.

Proclaiming the story invites us to be a part of it. 
Their story then becomes my story now.

Some clarifications.

This is not about worship style - contemporary or traditional or postmodern or ancient-modern, they can all be boring, they can all be engaging.

It's not about preaching style - manuscript or not, behind a pulpit or perambulating - they can all be boring, they can all be engaging.

I agree with Tripp: boredom - that place of giving one's mind the unencumbered space to wander free - can be a beneficial part of the life of faith.

But the central act of proclamation, within the central gathering of the worshiping community, should not be boring.

We have gotten lazy with how we tell the story.

We (proclaimers) need to re-learn the power of inviting people into the drama of the story entrusted to us.
We need to let boring church die, and engaging church be reborn.

Our task, our calling, is to invite people into the most exciting and amazing story of all time and give them the tools to make it their own story.

And there is nothing boring about that.

Church Bells: A Parable

Listen, and I will tell you a parable.  The modern church is like a church bell.

Once upon a time, the large church bell in the steeple played an important role in the community. They drew the community together, and provided vital service for everyone in the neighborhood.

On Saturday night the bell rang at sunset, to let everyone know that there would be worship in the morning.

Important news in the community? The church bell rang to alert everyone.

A death in the community? Listen for the church bell - you would even find out how old the person was.

Sunday morning - the bell rang a few hours before worship, reminding everyone to start gathering together.

Everyone in the neighborhood heard and depended on the church bell as a part of life together.

And then things changed.

Silent church bells on display. 

The world became noisier. Cars and planes, cell phones and televisions and radios. Better insulated homes. The church bell couldn't be heard as well.

And once the church bell couldn't be heard as well, it started to ring less often.

Many churches still have bells. Most often they are rung right as worship begins, so that those inside the church already know that worship is beginning.

Once upon a time, the church bell was an important source of news and information for everyone in the neighborhood.

Now the bell only rings for those who are inside the church when worship begins.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Reading

At Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship, as the lights are turned out and candles are lit, we encounter the Word of God. A few years ago I put together this reading in two parts that merges together Genesis 1 and John 1. 

Image: © Nevit Dilmen

Reader 1: In the beginning was the Word,
Reader 2: In the beginning when God began to create the heavens and the earth,

and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep while a spirit from God swept over the face of the waters.

He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.
Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.

What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
And God saw that the light was good.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. And God blessed them.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

From the fullness of the Word made flesh we have all received grace upon grace.

Note: This reading is based on the NRSV translation of the text. Adapt as needed for other translations. 

Pope Francis, Children, and Worship

In many churches, there are very clear expectations for children (and there parents). Even if you have never attended the congregation before, you can quickly pick up on the expectation.

• The very clearly labelled cry room / nursery, far from the sanctuary. To separate noisy children from the worshipers. 
• The children being led out at some point for "children's church." 
• The judging looks at parents with young children who are laughing or crying. 
• Even the sign, "Small Children Should Be in the Nursery During Worship."

Yup. The expectation is clear. We do not want to see or hear children during worship. No wiggling, no laughing, no talking, no fidgeting. Take them out: to the nursery, to the cry room, anywhere but the sanctuary. 

I was greatly moved by the pictures this week of Pope Francis. As he was speaking to a huge gathering of families, a young boy joined the Pope on the stage. Despite attempts by those on the stage to remove him, the boy stayed. He wandered. He talked. He spent time in the places where he was not supposed to be. And no one seemed happier about the situation than Pope Francis. 

Love. Kid runs on stage during @Pontifex speech, hugs him, Pope sits him on his chair to continue the speech. pic.twitter.com/zxghWLpwtb
— PEG (@pegobry) October 29, 2013

The Pope seemed to have grasped an important truth: If you have a gathering of families, there will be children. And those children will behave like ... well ...children. 

If we continue to make it clear that we do not want to hear or see children in worship, we will get exactly what we want. We will not see or hear children -- Not now, and not in twenty years when they grow up. They will get the message loud and clear: They are not welcome.

Worship leaders: learn from the Pope. We want our worship services to be gatherings for families (all sorts of families). And where there are families, there will be children. (Rodger Nishioka wrote about this very idea yesterday on the NextChurch blog)

Worship leaders: let children be children. Give permission for them to wander, to talk, to color, to play. To do all the things that children do. Make it abundantly clear to parents and children that they are welcome.



Here is the welcome that we put in our bulletins at St. John - Prairie Hill

Parents of Young Children

We are so glad that you are here, and that you brought your children with you! Thank you! A few suggestions for your worship experience: 

• Relax! God put the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. It can be helpful to sit toward the front where it is easier for children to see and hear. 
• Sing hymns loudly, pray, and voice the responses with enthusiasm. Children learn behavior by copying you. If you are excited about God, they will be too! 
• There are Story Bibles in the pew—your child is welcome to read, look at, and use this Bible! (If you would like to take one home, talk to Pastor David). 
• Teach children some of the basic prayers; being able to join in with the prayers helps them feel they are contributing too. Also, it can be helpful to explain to your child what is happening during the service. 
• Attend worship often, children like and need routines where they can participate. 

To those who are sitting near worshiping parents and children
A smile of encouragement is always welcome to parents with small, active children! Jesus welcomed the little children, and so do we. Whether talking, crying, laughing, or singing, the sounds of children in worship are joyful songs of praise.

An Usher at St. John

Millennials and Worship

Image Credit: David Ball

My social media news feeds have been bombarded over the last few months with similar stories: "How to Get Millennials In Church," "Why Millennials are Leaving the Church," "What Millennials Want from Worship." In a similar way, so many conversations at clergy gatherings bring up the conversation "What do young people want from the church?"

I can't speak for other young adults. I know my experience, and the things that resonate with me and my friends. And what I know is this: I am tired of this conversation.

After listening to a fantastic presentation about the ways that the culture around the church is changing, an audience member raised her hand with a question. Her congregation was having the debate about the best way to attract young adults: should they have traditional or contemporary music? Here is my expert, millennial opinion on that question: I don't care.

No really. I don't care whether you use an organ or drums, whether you have a seven piece band or a thirty member choir, whether you sing something written five hundred years ago or five years ago. I don't want to save your church. I don't want a worship service designed just for me.

What do Millennials want? In truth, if you ask 100 different young adults you will get 100 different answers. I have my personal worship & music preferences. But they are not reflective of anyone in my generation but me -- and more importantly, they are secondary when it comes to finding a worshiping community. "What style of music" is not the question I care most about. As Tripp Hudgins points out, it's not the point.

Here's what I care about: When I walk into your church building on Sunday, does it feel like a real, loving community? When you worship together - is that worship a reflection of who you really are? Are you passionate about the faith that you share?

Quit trying to be things you are not. Don't try to be just like that mega-church down the road. Don't try to be like the cathedral downtown. Don't try to be like the campus ministry or the camp ministry.

Be you. Be the very best you. Small church or large. Aging members or younger. Contemporary or traditional or somewhere in-between. Be you. Not for the sake of who might possibly come, not to attract other sorts of people, but because that is who God has called you to be. Church: God has called you to be fully yourselves, because God loves you. 

Be passionate. Whatever the "style" you worship in, throw all of your energy and heart into it. The words that we say and sing on Sunday -- if we believe them -- are the most important and meaningful words in life. Say them and sing them like you mean them. Because if you aren't passionate about what you say on Sunday morning, why in the world would anyone else care?

Be loving. I missed the time Jesus lectured the disciples about worship style. But I seem to remember some pretty strong words about love.

If you fill the room with love, no one will ever care what sounds are filling the room. Fill the room with love. Love for the community as it is right now. Love for new friends who walk through the door. Love for the community in which the congregation is located. Fill the room with love.

Be you. Be passionate. Be loving. 


I would love to continue the conversation with you on facebook and twitter! 

Prayer Book for the Armed Services

I am so excited about this new resource offered by Augsburg Fortress: Prayer Book for the Armed Services. It has been quite some time since the Lutheran church has offered a similar resource, and this is a welcome addition to my library.

This book was really well thought out for use by men and women in military. It is small. The pages are thick and sturdy. The cover is tough - I spilled water on it and it just rolled right off. And at $8 each, this is easily one of the most affordable books on my worship resources shelf!

There are prayers for individual use, and an arrangement of the daily prayer services for individual use as well. Many of the prayers are specifically about life in the military, and the experiences that are unique to that vocation. There are also some great corporate worship prayers and services included.

The video below gives a quick peek inside. Click on the video to pause it and peruse the table of contents. Thanks Augsburg Fortress for this! (Order from Augsburg Fortress)

Seen & Not Heard

Here's my frustration: I want to encourage the church. I want to point out all of the things that are going great, all the things that we are doing right. I want to praise the way we are bringing Christ into the world. But.

But sometimes, the church is just ridiculous. And to be clear, I am not talking about the congregation where I serve, although we have our moments, too. I am talking about the church - all of us - the body of Christ. 

In almost every church I that I have had any sort of contact with, I have heard some variation on the same concern: "There aren't enough children. We need more kids in Sunday School. The Youth Group is too small." Sound familiar? Church councils sit around, thinking of what the pastor needs to do to get kids in church. The older members complain about parents who don't bring their kids to church. We talk about all sorts of things ... none of which is actually the problem.

Want to know the problem? Here it is, in a nutshell. A few weeks ago, I walked into a church to preach and saw this sign:

I don't post this to shame this one congregation. The truth is that many congregations, without being as explicit about it, still have this attitude lurking under the surface. The people who complain about the kids who talk during the sermon. The stares we give to the parents of fidgety children. We want kids in the church, but "Children should be seen and not heard" ... and we aren't too sure that they should be seen.

Come on, church! We can do better!

We wonder why our churches are graying. We wonder why our Sunday School rooms sit empty. We wonder what happened to all the families with young children. It's really simple: they got the message. They heard us loud and clear.

We need worship services where children are free to be ... well, children. That means sometimes they will be loud, sometimes they will need to move around and play and fidget. Because that is what children do.

We need churches where parents feel comfortable coming with their little ones; not ashamed or nervous. 

If we are going to have churches that have children in them, then those children and their parents should be made to feel welcome. Totally and completely welcome, just as they are. 

Let's be clear: if we don't change this, there will not be a church in a generation.