by linda » Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:50 pm
Unfortunately I am just enough of a musician to have a bit more than a working awareness of the science of crowd control going on now with changing the tempo, the lighting, the temperature, the volume, and making sure those on the stage are the right age/haircut/clothing etc to maximize the release of specific brain chemicals at specific times for specific reasons. And while it is always presented as aids to worship, engendering a spirit of worship, or helping folks feel the presence of the Spirit to me it smacks of snake oil manipulation. Sorry, but that is just how I react when I see it happening and know what is going on.
We have located a multi service larger UMC within driving distance that has a traditional liturgical leaning service and plan to check that out. Been avoiding the UMC but will admit to being pleased with some recent votes and judicial counsel decisions lately, and have learned the church of which I speak is even more conservative than that. So we will see.
If what counts is nickels and noses then yes, contemporary with bands and praise teams works. And folks do walk the aisle. But it palls when you don't see lives actually changing (eg addicts to alcohol stop drinking, not join a 12 step group and drink on) and are aware that walking the aisle response MAY not be the result of the Holy Spirit moving but rather MAY be just a successful capturing of heart beat, a good band being able to then slow it, combined with long standing time lowering blood flow to the brain increasing vulnerability to suggestion, and a good mesmerizing speaker. And if the brain chemical fix is a really good one you can engender much the same thing that happens in drug addiction: give the crowd a fix and they will crave another fix by next Sunday. May swap an addiction for Christian concerts for an addiction for a drug but still just an addiction to a chemical.
And then watching the same people float from church to church always seeking a new high, still doing the same old same olds: living together unmarried, drinking to excess, drugging, being lazy, neglecting or abusing their kids, not caring about the world about us or the people in it, etc also soured me. Sure, if I crank up the keyboard and you really wallop the drums and the guitar guy really gets into it all by the scientifically stated sound levels, lighting levels, beat, and tempo we can bring them in and bring them back and get them to walk the aisle. But if their lives say they haven't met Jesus, not really, well, why?
Linda