http://www.churchformen.com/leadstory.php
I like the premise of this article because it points out that there are differences in worship styles depending on sex, background, and personality (it focuses on sex). However, I don't like it's proposed solution to the problem (that churches are too feminised and men don't go to church because it means being sissy). It suggests that men should come first in everything at the church and that worship should be more directed towards men. I disagree. I believe the worship plan, among other things, should be balanced between female and male characteristics. The article says the women in churches that focus on men don't mind this change, but I believe that neither male nor female should be put above one or the other.
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4 comments:
Dear NYCIndividual,
I had written something on worship sometime back.
You can click on the tag for worship on our site.
Sidharth
Confabber, as I read your comments, I wanted to disagree; but then you'd put your comment into the context that there needs to be balance, and I would no longer have anything about which to argue.
I mostly agree that this is about personality, not about sex. However, to say that the article says that "men don't go to church because it means being sissy..." and "men should come first in everything at the church" misrepresents the author. The author really said that current practices leave men alienated. I believe this is because men are bored and under-utilized in church.
For example, all hymns are published in a key in which tenors and women can sing. As a bass, I cannot sing most hymns or choruses without straining my vocal cords. It actually hurts to sing in church. In years past, I could compensate by reading the bass line in the hymnals. Contemporary worship, however, throws out the hymnals in favor of repetitious singing of mostly content-lean choruses. Consideration has not been given to my situation.
As a result, instead of worshipping, I sit there in physical discomfort getting more and more annoyed at my daughter for bugging me to sing shallow and repetitive choruses that I don't know in a key that I can't reach. This does not endear contemporary worship to me.
It is not as often true as it used to be that men used to lead their homes and that is biblical. If churches draw women but not men, then the churches' will influence homes either through dominant wives and mothers or the churches will not influence homes at all. Neither alternative is optimal.
Moreover, in military terms, testosterone-led men ought to serve as the Lord's infantry whereas their wives ought to serve more as the logistics officers. Both are needed, but many churches end up with an imbalance.
Therefore, if one cannot achieve a balanced style, more profit will result from favoring men. Around the balance point one would find that some activities favor a masculine temperament while others favor a feminine temperament. I don't think the author would have any problem with that.
One of the leading factors in our degenerating society has been the absence of fathers. The abandonment of families by men indicates that they have not been influenced by the church.
Sociologically, then, the recovery of our nation depends on increasing the church's appeal to men.
Actually, Confabber (Harmony), you are exactly right! It may be something I see the other commenter was a bit uncomfortable with, but I find that as a pastor, the men are the hardest segment of the population to get back into church. However, they may very well be the most worthwhile b/c studies show that the husband or father of a family is 95 percent likely to bring the rest of the family once he is convinced.
We really should understand how a man worships.
Pastor Rob
www.robsingleton.net
I don't view worship as a form. True worship is simply obiedience to the Divine Will of God. Every act of obiedience is an act of worship. Rom.12 says, I urge you therefore brethern that you offer your body as a sacrifice which is our reasonable service and our worship to God.
Grace and Peace,
Ed
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