PICKY SCHMICKY

Do you know people who are really picky?  Finicky?  Have to have things the way THEY want them-no compromise?  Turn their nose up and thumb it at many ideas/foods/movies/anything?  Sad but true.  Anthropologists will tell you when a society is not in “survival” mode and things like food and shelter are taken care of, that is when “ picky schmicky” kicks in.  It all started in the Garden of Eden, where Eve couldn’t eat the other stuff provided to her- heck no- she HAD to have that forbidden fruit, pretty SCHMICKY of her!  Since then its been history…Do you want the truth?  Can you handle it?   We are all picky schmicky. And it is getting worse as time goes on. 

 

Truthfully, the worst I have ever seen are American Christians. We have too many choices.  You and I don’t remember- but in colonial times, especially the settling of the American West- small towns and settlements considered themselves BLESSED to have one small town church, and even luckier to have a pastor to lead them.  They were not too concerned about whether the church was Baptist, Methodist or Presbyterian. Can you imagine old Irmina of 1852 saying to her hubby Calab “Well, I don’t want to go to that church,  the worship is too traditional, I like contemporary better,  and besides there is no rock band and the preacher talks too much about the bible. Let’s take our covered wagon and go down the dirt road 100 miles Sunday morn to one we like better, hrummph!”  In Papua New Guinea one year we had Easter service in their church of grass with a dirt floor. We and the New Guineans were thrilled to have a place to worship.

 

Today in America, we are unbelievably picky schmicky- finicky- out of control about where we worship our God.  Churches are clamoring today for the best  “show” they can produce, to lure folks in.  Fireworks?  No problem.  Just head for the mega church down the road.  As you left church last week, did you complain about the music/preaching/length/style of your church service?  PICKY SCHMICKY.  To be honest, this problem has grown to epic proportions in our country, to our shame. 

ME TOO

I confess I am the same.  I want to go to a church where I like the style of worship, the theology matches mine, and the preacher can actually put 2 words together.  In my life I have been a Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian. I have attended contemporary ,  traditional, and “middle of the road” worship.  Listened to biblical, extemporary, topical, and “gimmicky” preaching.  ( I am almost certain someone out there has done a “Dancing with the Stars”  preaching series, can’t wait for the “Swamp People”  series coming soon to a church near you!)  

Catchin People fer the Lord, just like we catch them thar gators, heh heh.

 Sometimes I am cynical about where some of our churches have headed in this new millennium. Also being old, I am a little worried about where it will go in the future.  Tim and I know many pastors and church leaders, and to be honest this turn of events is really not their fault- the blame lies directly on the head of the PICKY SCHMICKY  pew sitters.  US.   

MY CHURCH IS AWESOMELY DORKY

 A few years ago I was laid off at the church I was working at, they just could not get enough $$ to keep all of their staff.  Tim and I found ourselves in a position of finding a new place to worship.  Do you know what we looked for?  Something with No band, No gimmicks, No coolness whatsoever.  Where we are attending church now is AWESOME!  Do you know how Napoleon Dynamite is so dorky he is cool?  

can I interest you in a delicious bass?  by the way, my suit is so dorky it's cool!

 That is how I feel about our church.  We have a “covered dish”’ (can’t say potluck in the south) every time we feel like it without worrying if that is cool or not.  We sing hymns without apologizing.  The people are SO FRIENDLY they will love you in.   Our Pastor takes a section of scripture and preaches on it weekly with NO power point presentation. (Horrors!)  How can it be?  NO POWER POINT?  How did they ever have church without power point??? 

WORSHIP

You might argue I really don’t understand “cool” worship because I am old.  Believe me kids- I was raised in the 70’s,   I GET cool music- probably better than you:)  and I like contemporary worship - but I just happen to like hymns too- so sue me.  I have a couple of good 20-something friends who are worship leaders. We have friendly arguments about contemporary worship- I tell them I don’t want to hear angst-ridden, pleading  “worship”  songs.  What in the cat hair?  Let's make a JOYFUL noise, can we?  One of them tells me some churches  with a really good band do worship “on a high level” What does that mean?

 Are they closer to God than the guy singing Amazing Grace -on their “high level”?  Can I call cat hair again?  They tell me I don’t get it- and the beat goes on…. Then we laugh at each other:)

What is the point of this discussion, you ask?  Here it is: Not in power point format, but point by point:

CHURCH

1. GO.  Plain and Simple.  At a church I once attended, the pastor told the congregation to try to get to services 75% of the time.  What in the cat hair? There is NO excuse NOT to be there 100% of the time unless you are sick or dying.  Countdown to the NFL is not a reason to miss. Vacation is not a reason-find a church in the city you are visiting. GO to church- you will be glad you did.

2. ALL churches are pretty darn good if they preach and follow God’s Word. You can’t go wrong with the Bible, fer sure.

3. Quit complaining.  Worship styles are just that: STYLES.  God wants us to make a joyful noise. Traditional, Contemporary, New Guinea tribal drum beating. Whatever.   It’s all good.   SLASH THROUGH Picky Schmicky!  NO WHINING!

 

4.DO SOMETHING!  You were made for ministry, not to be picky schmicky, not to complain- get going doing something for your God! Have fellowship with the good folks God has given you at your church, lead a group, work in the nursery, go on a mission trip, encourage somebody.  JUST DO IT

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on, toward love and good deeds.  Let us NOT give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see The Day approaching.”

And by the way, if you have teenagers they should be going to Youth group- not making excuses why they can’t go…  but that’s a rant for another day:)