Passive or Progressive?

Have you ever heard some one say that they "wish people would cheer in church the same way they do at a ball game?"  It's a good question, but wouldn't a better question be why don't we foster that same atmosphere that is at a ball game in church?  I don't mean the Pastor stepping up to the pulpit with a tshirt gun, or the piano player, you know the organ players are becoming extinct, playing charge, or even the selling of peanuts and cracker jacks, but maybe we need to change the mood.

So often we shuffle into church out of a sense of duty instead of a desire to be there.  Often times already still tired from a late nights or long weekends and we come in and often get lulled to sleep by the music that starts playing.  I don't want to make it sound as if I am against the music that is played in our churches.  It all has it's place and time.  I love to hear some Chris Tomlin and others who have the slow moving worship music, but I don't believe that's all we need.  It's good to find a place in God's presence and be still, but like the disciple I think our spirits can be willing and our flesh weak, and as they did go to sleep.  A lot of this music seems passive to me, and like I said nothing is wrong with that, when letting God lead us into his presence we need to be passive and let him direct us.  But what do we do after we've received our marching orders from the Lord?

In my humble opinion we should move from passive to progressive.  I've recently discovered an online radio station, TheBlastFM.com, where their motto is "Always Aggressive, Always Progressive", that may sound a bit extreme, but I believe it's what we are called to be.  In Matthew 10:34 Jesus says, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."  So if we want a "ball game" type response, we should head his words and worship accordingly.  By that I'm not saying we should have rock bands in the sanctuary, all though personally I think that would be cool, but we do need to sing songs with some of the messages I have heard from these bands that are often ignored.  I will do a follow up blog on this and why I support Christian rock later in the week, I know, I know I'm over a year late on posting that one, but today in church I had a small revelation.

At Faith Community Church where I attend, for the past month or so we have been talking about getting back in touch with the Holy Spirit and being who we were called to be and not watered down versions Christians.  The messages have all hit me in the heart, but instead of "This is the Air I Breathe" something like House of Heroes "Burn Me Down" would have hit home with me more.  Give it a listen if you're not a huge rock music fan you'll probably like this one.

I didn't get that this morning but I did hear a melody of  "Enemies Camp" and "Look What the Lord Has Done".  This moved me more than any other song has in a long time.  It's funny how I tear up more at the fast aggressive songs.  It wasn't the beat, but the words, and what they were saying.  It was a call to action.  It was saying take something back.  We have been equipped, now we need to do something with it.  When the Pastor is lifting his legs high enough to put the devil "under his feet" and senior saints are dancing at the altar, it's starting to feel more like a ball game.  Or is it that the ball game feel like what the New Testament church felt like?