Why do we do church the way we do? Actually that is a bad question. The Church is us, the Christians, Christ Followers, People. We have done a poor job of church, in my opinion.
I believe it is time to get back to the focus of changed lives and helping others to change and that means we are going to have to change some things.
I just started reading a great book and it is going to be one of those life changing ones. I am only a few chapters in and I highly recommend that you get a copy and read.
Ronnie
From Amazon:
Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we “dress up” for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries? This volume reveals the startling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Coauthors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence in the first-ever book to document the full story of modern Christian church practices.
From the Publisher
“Most contemporary Christians are massively ignorant as to how the church got to where it is today and of how much current church practice is due simply to accumulated tradition, with little or no roots in Scripture. (Emphasis Added) This book provides a useful service in peeling back the layers of tradition, showing the origins of much that we today call “church.” Christians who want to be biblically faithful, regardless of their particular tradition or church form, can learn and benefit from the book.”
Howard Snyder, Professor of History and Theology of Mission, Asbury Theological Seminary, author of “The Problem of Wineskins” and “The Community of the King.”
I read the first printing of this book a couple of years ago, but I’m not a huge fan of it. I did learn some neat facts about the history of the church, but I was bothered by his complete disdain of the church today. I don’t think he differentiates between what is descriptive in the New Testament and what is prescriptive for the church. I have also read several other reviews who have debated the historical accuracy of this book. There is some good info in here, you just have to be discerning.
Follow-up to Mike’s comment: After reading about half of the book I too am bothered that the author seems to take issue with everything that is done in the church today. It is still a great book and one that makes me think about WHY we do what we do and it will cause me to get in gear to change some things. Just read with an open mind and gain what you can and discard the rest. Thanks Mike.