Well Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I’m still in a thankful spirit. I admit that I am often very critical of modernism, the seeker sensitive movement, megachurches, and performance based worship, but these movements have brought us some really good things. So today, I am thankful for modernism and the positive things it has brought to the church.
1. Guitars in worship – Here’s a great big thank you to my parents’ generation for the Jesus Movement which brought us cooler instruments and praise choruses. Sure, they’re a little repetitive, but where would the church be if we still weren’t allowed to have drums or guitars?
2. Preachers who don’t wear suits – As someone who is going into the ministry, I can’t say thank you enough to whoever it was who first decided preachers don’t need to wear robes or suits every Sunday… well, I suppose I wouldn’t mind wearing monk robes or Jedi robes... but my sincere thanks go out to whoever it was who set us free from from the tyrant that was the "preacher suit!"
3. Powerpoint – Can you imagine having to use overhead projectors in mega churches? Or using praise chorus books like hymnals? Bleck. Here’s to you powerpoint… you make worship more participatory! And it's good for visual learners too! (and I suppose I should also give a shout out to Media Shout, but Powerpoint gets most of the credit because they were first!)
4. That people (women included) can wear jeans to church – I guess this isn’t true in all churches, but I’m glad that people are getting over the whole “you have to wear your Sunday best” thing. Churches today are doing much better than in the past about accepting people as they are, and for that, I am thankful.
5. Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Hillsong, and other contemporary songwriters – Okay, so not every song you’ve written has been great… but you are the songwriters of our generation, and if it weren’t for you, church would become stale and irrelevant to younger generations. Thanks for playing the role that God has prepared for you. I am thankful for you.
6. Microphones and Sound Systems – Can you imagine preaching three times every Sunday in a large sanctuary, trying to speak loud enough for Grandma Edna in the back row to hear you? Yikes! My throat hurts just thinking about it. Thank you microphones!
