Your comments on church attendance it something I had not really thought about before. I don't really like small talk at church or maybe I am not good at it.We have had ministers who have said we should enter the church ready for worship in a reverent mode and be ready to listen. I am not disagreeing with you, it is something I need to think about. Church is about fellowship.
I guess it is a difference of perspective? The approach Ault mentions is what I often hear called a "High Church" way of doing things. This viewpoint considers the church building to be a sanctuary, a Holy Place. I can't say it is wrong, because it is the way the Israelites treated the temple. However, the Temple was designed as a place for God to reside. Under the new covenant God through the Holy Spirit is residing in us.
I come from a viewpoint more of a "we are the body" (It's a Casting Crowns song. click on the link for the lyrics) point of view. Perhaps we should be more ... reverent ... when we enter the church building. But to my way of thinking the building is JUST a building. WE are the church and the building is only important because we are meeting there.
Perhaps the difference is also because I am a part of a Restoration Movement church (or as a dear elderly Baptist neighbor lady calls us, "Campbellites"). We do not hold anyone more reverent than others. In fact, preachers in our churches generally object to the title "Reverend". That really confuses newspaper editors and funeral directors. So we start out a bit irreverent.
Anyway, I need to wrap this up. I'm reading through the Bible in 6 months with a group at church and I'm 12 pages behind. Ault, feel free to look up the church home page at www.wucc.us or drop me an email at XmwayneX@firehousemail.Xcom (remove all the X's first) It's a throwaway address I use which will forward to my real address.
[edit the next morning: I've been pondering on this and I guess the difference between what you describe and what I am striving for is the basic definition of "church". Is the "church" a Holy Place where one goes to worship the One True God , or is the church those who believe Jesus is the Christ and accept Him as their Savior? I suppose both could be true. But when we look at the example in the Book of Acts we find the believers gathered together to share with each other.
I suppose part of the problem many have with this concept is the fact they never had a good family background to base it on. So may families are fragmented and broken and disfunctional that people don't grasp what they should have enough to try and attain it.
My problem with the other viewpoint is it tends to lead to "temple worship" The building is Holy, everything we do in it must be quiet and reverent and how dare you smile or tell a joke! Nothing wrong with coming together with the attitude of worship, but one must be careful of WHAT he is worshipping.
Anyway, I need to run. By the way, I switched back to my OEM keyboard with wires and my trackball. I hate the wires but it just works so much better.
Oh, and here is what we'll be doing today:]
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