What I don’t enjoy is when a song continues to repeat time and time again like some type of mantra. The power of the modern worship songs has always been their ability to form words and thoughts for us that our collective hearts want to express to God.
When we just repeat the same thing over and over again, eventually our heart has said what it wants to say and then it becomes an endless repetition rather than an expression of how we feel. How many times do we have to sing “Let it rain” or “I exalt Thee” before we are no longer asking God for the Holy Spirit or expressing our adoration of Him? If all I did in expressing to my wife is repeat “I love you” over and over again all day, it would get monotonous even to her. I have to wonder if God checks out after the 3rd or 4th time we say “I exalt Thee” in a row.
4Banner And Flag Worship
I love choreography. I love visual worship. I love using new and creative ways to worship God. However there are times when some things are just distracting rather than facilitate my ability to worship. A sharp stick being slung around near my face is one of those things. I think there is a place for banner worship. I think there is a place for waving flags around. However to do so without some safeguards is just not wise nor helpful.
Can we allow banner worship to be done by trained people who do so in a safe place apart from the rest of us folks? Can we find a way that allows people who are good at such things to do so with freedom without distracting or causing the rest of us to keep our eye out for sharp objects?
5Using Manipulative Tactics In Taking The Offering
Not all Spirit filled churches do this but many do. Can we refrain from giving a sermon prior to taking the offering? Can we stop getting our clues from Christian TV telethons on how to take up an offering? I have been in services where they take up to 1/2 hour just to take the offering. Then they get everybody to march up to the front to show how much they are givers. Come on folks! Is it no wonder the world thinks that all the church wants is your money?
God is our supplier. If our church is called by Him, if it is sanctioned by Him, if it is blessed by Him, then we do not need to manipulate people to give. They will give freely because they are receiving freely. They will want to support the church. I have seen where people respond well to having no offering taken publicly but instead there is just an offering box placed at the back. God supplies all our needs when we are doing what He wants us to do
6The Sermon That Never Ends
When I was in Bible college, I had a wise old professor who had been in ministry more years than I had been alive make this statement. “If you preach more than 20 minutes you are either lying or repeating yourself. Now although that statement might not be entirely true, the fact remains that the mind is going to check out after a certain amount of time. The mind will only absorb as much as the seat will endure. We need to stop thinking that wearing people out with sermons that never end and lose their point is something to be admired. It is just another aspect of thinking we are more anointed than we really are.
Nothing bothers me, and many first time churchgoers more than getting bored and looking at their watch to see how long they have endured. In our world that has a 7 minute attention span before needing a commercial break, we would be wise to learn how to communicate in shorter time spans.
Read more at http://spiritfilledchristianliving.com/the-spirit-filled-life/9-quirky-habits-spirit-filled-christians-should-break/#F4pSHj0gpR0STX0O.99