There are several modern inventions I think are genius. The in-car GPS? Give that inventor a Nobel prize. And the DVR – wow! I get to fast forward through commercials. I can watch a soccer game in about 15 minutes, but just zipping through it until the score changes then watching the goal. Amazing. Recently, I got a smart phone – a Droid because everyone else says to get the iPhone. How did I live so many years without a smart phone?
But there is one modern innovation that this aging pastor hates. I don’t know who the low-down varmint was who came up with the idea that we have to stand during the whole song service, but he is not my friend. I would like to find him and give him a piece of my mind – what is left of it. I’d like to make him stand (and I mean stand) in the corner for several days until his feet hurt like mine do on Sunday evening after three services of almost uninterrupted standing.
I grew up in the era where we followed the Bible. The Bible ( I can’t remember the exact chapter and verse, but it has to be in there somewhere) says you stand on the opening song, then sit until the offertory hymn, during which you stand to give people easy access to their wallets. If you sing “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” you stand up, because it is only right. And you can’t sing “Standing on the Promises” while you are “sitting on the premises” as I was told by the music leader every time we sang that song. So, we stood. We stood until the deacon of the week asked God to bless the gift and the giver and to use the offerings for the furtherance of Thy Kingdom. Then, we sat. Everyone knew the rules. That’s the way we always did it when I was growing up. I know it is the Bible way, because that’s the way we always did it in my growing up years.
Then, some whippersnapper brainchild came up with the idea that we should always stand when we sing!
Don’t get me wrong. I am not against contemporary worship. As a matter of fact, as I grow older I have come to prefer the guitars and drums to the organ and piano – just a personal preference. If I were starting a church from scratch it would have contemporary worship all the way. No, I’m not just some old codger who thinks we should only sing out of the hymnal.
I’d just like to sing “Our God is Greater” whilst sitting on that portion of my anatomy which God specifically designed for sitting. I like modern worship, but my feet don’t! I don’t get to sit and nap during the message, so it’s just not fair that I have to stand during the singing!
So, some eager worship leader says, “Worship is coming into the presence of the King, right? When you come into the King’s presence, you stand.”
Aren’t we in the presence of the Lord when we are studying his Word as well? Isn’t preaching an act of worship? Okay, have it your way. I’ll stand during the singing if you will stand during the preaching! Deal?
Besides, Paul said that we are “seated in the heavenly places with Christ.” Now I am pulling out the big guns. If we are seated in the heavenlies why do I have to stand in church? I got a verse to prove my point, folks. Discussion over, right?
I really think the solution is what I mentioned a moment ago. If they keep making me stand during the music I’m going to make them stand during the preaching – every last one of those young whippersnappers!
Oh, and Dan Barnes, you’d better recover from your surgery. If I implement this, you’ll probably be getting some visitors over there pretty soon. Back me up. Make them stand while Gene preaches!
