Hello all:
Each summer, Churches of Christ in the Portland area sponser whats called “TNT”, or Tuesday Nights Together, for the area youth groups. Each TNT night is held at a different congregtion, and there is usually a devotional, some skits, a message and some time to socialize.
We are hosting one this year, and as the “youth guy,” I’m working with the teens to get it prepared. So…the other day I received a phone call from an admissions counselor at Cascade, who asked if we’d also like to host the college’s newest music group during our TNT. Since this would take some pressure off of us to fill some time, I was all for it…but, there was one problem….
This group is a “Christian Band,” complete with acoustic guitar and drummer. I told the admissions counselor I couldn’t promise anything…and I took it to our minister, who vetoed it.
Apparently one of the other congregations last year hosted the same type of group during a TNT and caused some controversy. I don’t remember hearing about it, but apparently there were accusations that this congregation was attempting to introduce instrumental music into the area congregations.
So…. to avoid controversy, we aren’t hosting them. I can understand the decision, to an extent. We just changed our name, so going down this road would probably lead to more speculation on this subject, not less…. and we don’t need that right now. At the wsame time, though, its saddening, because these are the situations where I wish we could not worry about this issue so much… but, this is where we are.
-Clarke
RSS feed for comments on this post. | TrackBack URI
June 23rd, 2006 at 12:56
Indeed sad, but I understand, for the sake of the congregation and unity, it wasnt an “argument” worth having. I pray the issue of IM will not be a deterent as such in the future. Its an old argument that I believe has been properly handled, I just wish we would drop the traditions. Well, let me put it in another way, just be open to the fact that others use it and its not a salvation issue.
June 23rd, 2006 at 22:04
YOu have to wonder just how autonomous our churches are when we worry so much about what other congregations think of us and what we are doing. For a group that prides itself on independence, we police ourselves quite nicely thank you.
June 26th, 2006 at 17:32
And while the world is lost in spasms of fear, evil, loss, and pain… we worry about a stray Epiphone infiltrating our sacred spaces… and the devil laughs once again. May God give us time and grace to leave our foolishness behind.
June 27th, 2006 at 4:13
Good Grief. Someone speaks an accusation (not true) and everyone honors it. People are dying without Jesus Christ and this is the hot topic that drives the decisions.
Thanks for the vent. But it is frustrating. I am sure you already know that.
One other observation. For the sake of not appearling ‘evil’ it is cancelled. But was anything ever done to the person spreading untruths to help avoid the appearance of evil. (I know you probably don’t know… just food for thought).
June 27th, 2006 at 8:56
YOu have to wonder just how autonomous our churches are when we worry so much about what other congregations think of us and what we are doing.
Or more to the point, how autonomous they are when they’re working together in the first place?
Particularly for an effort that’s largely entertainment…
June 28th, 2006 at 11:54
A local church here in the Dallas area starting having the ‘non-worship’ musical nights. That evolved into seperate “progressive” and “traditional” services. And now of course the traditional service is gone entirely. Rick Warren would be so proud.
July 1st, 2006 at 6:13
I just hope on the non-worship musical night that the elders are in the crowds to make sure no one accidently begins to feel like they are worshipping. That could be a real problem.
July 3rd, 2006 at 10:56
I will probably never understand such ‘religious’ trivalities. If it was such a concern for Jesus Christ about the future of his people, then he might have made more mention of the topic.
July 3rd, 2006 at 10:59
Clarke… Your spam filter loves me. I think the last two comments have been flagged.
July 3rd, 2006 at 21:57
Mark:
Sorry about that….I’ve been getting hit with tons of trackback spam and had to take drastic measures. I’ll try and get you on the white list.
-Clarke
July 4th, 2006 at 19:19
I attend a church that was established in 1843. Itt broke out of a Baptist church, not over issues of music (we both have pianos and they also have an organ) but over issues of doctrine. Pre-destination and other items often discussed these days. Our church has declined over the past few years , primarily due to the general decline of the population of Cheneyville. As a consequence I have continued my long tradition of meeting with congregations of the strictest of Church of Christ (the non-instrumental ones) as well as the instrumental ones and Christian Churches of instrumental varieties as well as the Disciples. I attended a concert at a church in Jacksonville, Fla (quite a few years ago now)where they had Bride playing (Actually I was there to support the openning band whom I knew)and while I am not a fan of heavy metal, I can endureth all things if the center of it is Christ. I found that people who focus on the negative have real problems with the message while those who focus more on the commonality of the churches can relate much more easily. In all things, start with Christ and Christ crucified. It worked for Paul..
July 4th, 2006 at 20:02
Thanks Clarke. It is amazing how much spam we face as well. Sometimes hundreds in a day. Spam Karma works very well.
July 7th, 2006 at 11:10
Paul said he was yet again in the pains of childbirth with the Galatians until Christ was formed within them. Sometimes ministry with the people of God can be wearisome . . . ok lots of times. That is why we seek that spiritual gift of love for even brothers and sisters who, like the Galatians, miss the heart of the matter.
Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
Stoned-Campbell Disciple
July 7th, 2006 at 17:19
Clarke,
I have attempted to post several times now but your site keeps identifying me as spam and zaps it . . . I have tried a different computer to see if that helps. Am I sending of “spam” signals?
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
July 8th, 2006 at 7:40
Bobby:
I think what happened is that blogspot.com got put on the IP whitelist on my spam filter, and I tried to remove it because almost all of my spam was coming from blogger accounts. But, I messed up and put blogger accounts on the blacklist instead, sending your post to pergatory.
Hopefully I’ll have it fixed today.
-Clarke