Respect goes two ways I think

I had a great time up at Easter Convention over the past long weekend. There were times of fantastic teaching from John North and Rob Whittaker, as well as good times catching up with mates and just chilling out.

There was something that really bugged me though - and I want to blog it, being careful not to sound too offensive though...

The services at the convention had some pretty ordinary music - well that's what I though - but what I really struggle with is the attitude of the elderly people at the convention.

Personally I don't see the point of having someone special come up the front and take over the band just to sing a hymn... to conduct the congregation, wave arms around, set the timing and pitch with hand signals and stop the song every verse to give some conductive criticism. It's not the way I can really express myself to God in worship. BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT IT - I'll endure it willingly, because I know that's how some of the elderly people really connect with God, it's how they were brought up and it's what they know.

HOWEVER; God forbid drums start playing, or the tempo pick up in any of the other choruses. Then the old people are up in arms, complaining that it's not right, that it can't be worship, that people couldn't possibly have any purpose for playing like that.

The complains and plain whinging I heard from elderly people last weekend was on the verge of sickening. It only took 1 song, where there wasn't a standard drum beat, but more of a lead on the toms and we basically had old people sitting down or walking out of the hall. (Just to note, I wasn't playing the drums, and the guy who was did it much quieter and sedately than I would), how many hymns did we sing, how many times did we get conducted in a way we weren't use to, but did the Young Adults and teenagers complain? No! (well maybe there were some comments made, but only after elderly people had rudely commented on the other styles of music, and not directly to the elderly, or in front of anyone but ourselves).

Rob Whittaker actually took some time in one of his messages to focus on the overwhelming superstition in the church these days, that so many things are done just because. That there are things that don't really matter in the big sense of it all - and we should be able to let go of them.

It seems the young people can - but the elderly can't.

One woman my mother talked to had even left the building and was complaining the drumming was upsetting her heart! Please show me some medical proof of that one, otherwise get over the mental and emotional superstition you have and realise the only problem is in your unwillingness to allow other people to express themselves in worship.

Now I know these people are great believers, that we should respect the elderly, but what I'm saying is that I think the young people do - yet there is still the issue of older people being so rigid that it is them holding the congregation or church back.

The other thing Rob called people to was to "Say what you see!" so to not gloss over things that are hurting the church. I think that's my intention here - I'd love to see the elderly compromise on their way a service is run, just as the Young Adults have already done to still allow the older way of doing things to be a part of the convention services.