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Lighten And Loosen Up @ Church!
Author : Mark Crossley
Rev. Denny Brake once said “Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set”.
Sometimes people in church need to lighten up, we are so caught up with being too serious being all too perfect bible scolors it puts new people off, doing things as we have always done, having the wrong image of God etc. Sound familiar?
When I was at Hillsong Church in Australia I remember a service in the church where in front of 2000 people there was a bouncy castle, balloons, lively music, face painting, fair and street amusements in the main street outside the church. The atmosphere was electric, fun and frantic. Certainly not your usual service it could be said!!!.
• When was the last time you had a laugh in church or outside with your Christian friends?
• Are Christian people far too serious for their own likening?
• If non-believers came into your church would they be put off by you all?
• Do you have such high moral standards you expect of each other that in reality you are on such a podium now one can reach it unless you’re in the colicky few?
• When was the last time you chilled out, heard the voice of God and felt refreshed in HIM?
Here are a few things I recommend in trying collectively as a body of Christ: Picnic in the park, day out to theme park, weekend away to a Christian conference, day to comedy club (Christian or non Christian), bowling, laser quest, cinema, be creative and imaginative as you can periodically to add humour into the church and brush off the odd cobweb here and there.
If we do not lighten up, be ourselves as the question posed by Lowell B Yoder may become a reality:
“Do you know the three times that most people are in church? When they are hatched, matched and dispatched”
Amusing though the answer to the question is quite often being too serious and set in our ways can drive people away from church. Surely church we can do better than doing this to folks.
It’s hard to get the balance right of being serious and fun but take advice from more experienced people and things will work out if numbers are dropping in your congregation.
Lord Jesus, I pray for my friends in the church there would be a spirit of laughter and joy that would come out of people’s hearts and mouths. Let us lighten up, be real and worship you with our lives.
Lord let something from these scriptures touch our hearts I pray in Jesus name as you continue with church in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.
Firstly found in Genesis "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me”.
Secondly found in Job “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy”
Thirdly found in Psalms “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy”.
Be encouraged, smile, have fun and do Gods work today in church. Bless you all.
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