HELP...Are all the old fashion churches gone

[Lisa]

OK here is my problem I grew up in a very conservative Baptist church. The pastor always said clapping belongs at the ball park and AMEN belongs in the church. Now that I've moved away from home I keep drifting from church to church trying to find one that I'm comforatable in.

Other Problems: I don't like being told to clap, I don't like being told to wave my hands, and I don't like being told to dance, rock or move. Basically I don't like praise teams. I always have the feeling they are telling us to do these things to make themselves feel better more than to praise the Lord.

More problems: I feel disobedient if I don't do what they ask and I feel like I'm faking it if I do. I feel that when the spirt moves me I will not be able to stay in my seat or keep my hands down and I don't like feeling forced to do things.

I think I'm really an abnormal person because I always here people taking about you do it in the clubs, you do it at parties, you do it at concerts. I'm 35 and if you use your fingers to count up all of the concerts, clubs, and parties (including high school parties i.e homecoming, prom) I've ever been to I will still have fingers left and you better believe me if the music didn't move me I didn't move. Should I feel differently about this because I'm in church?

Does anyone else feel like churches have move too far into the mainstream trying to attract young people? I go to a church almost every Sunday and I can't remember the last time I've heard a good old fashion spirtural song. I'm longing for the days when deacons did the devotion and they would sing songs like Amazing Grace and get on their knees and pray between songs. Are these chrurches in existance now? Am I alone looking for a church like this?


So are all of these problems mine and I just need to get over them and do what is asked or do I keep drifting and not joining a church (being disobedient again) trying to find where I fit in.

Any opinions? Thoughts? Comments? :confused:

[BlkHoneyLuv2U]

Me personally, I dont think anything is wrong with you. I dont feel you should be told how to act or how to praise the Lord. You should do what the Spirit leads you to do. Whatever it is, do it from your heart I think God would honour that more than doing it because the masses say do it. Juanita Bynum made a statement in one of her sermons a few years back about the churches changing and using the excuse that they are trying to draw the young people. She said maybe they were trying to draw someone God hadn't called. That made sense to me, although I know its not in God will for any to be lost, Juanita went on to say that God has not changed to try to reach anybody, for He is the same yesterdaay, today and forever. So the same Gospel it took to bring people to Christ in years gone by will bring them in today. It does seem that at times you cant tell the difference between the church and the world even when God directs us to be separate from the world. To come out from among them. I dunno....

[BlkHoneyLuv2U]

One more thing. If ever you're down alabama way, come to my church. We still do things the old fashioned way. We have a praise and worship leader, but we sing from they hymn book, we have all the things you mentioned in your last paragraph. Come see us.

[AnnDriena_]

I know what you mean. As much as I love my pastor. He contradicted himself and I plane to write him about it. He was talking about how it is wrong for some pastors to command others to praise. Praise isn't taken from it is given by you but yet he sometimes says Give the Lord a clap offering of praise. I don't think he is commanding but it does make him look contradictory when he himself said he doesn't see why someone should feel compelled by directions given to them by a pastor to praise, it should be natural. Of course within the context of the service. You dont' want the offering basket to be going around and somebody jump up and just get to praisin'. Change flying er'where.:lachen:

[slwe415]

John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The most important thing is that we worship him in spirit and in truth. I believe that true worship is not about whether we feel like it or not, or whether someone tells us to or not. True worship is something deep down on the inside. Church should already be in us before we arrive at the physical building, for we Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God looks at our hearts. We can wave our hands, clap, or whatever all we want to. If our heart is not right, God hide his face from us (Isaiah 1). It doesn't do any good to hold our hands up just because someone tells us to if we do not do it sincerely from our hearts.

[BlkHoneyLuv2U]

Tell it gurl, tell it.

[Lisa]

Thanks Ladies. I was feeling convicted because I was thought I was being disobedient but my last straw was Sunday when we were told to dance! :eek: I don't dance. I've never been able to dance and it looked crazy for people to be jumping up and down and doing the grapevine in church.:mad: If it is natural GREAT! But to have all of this organized stuff seems to take the spirit out of it for me.

I keep thinking I'm just too old fashioned but if I don't feel it I like to sit and enjoy the song. When someone tells me to clap, rock or wave my hands I either lose the beat or I'm concentrating so hard on staying on beat I've forgotten about what the song is about.

I guess I just needed to hear I'm OK.

Thanks Ladydee if I'm in AL I'll email you. I'd love to come to an old fashion church.

Lisa