Okay These things really don't matter, and these will be the last "church questions" at least for a while. My research/ position paper will be completed this week. Thank you for your patience with these and thank you especially to those who posted comments.
1. How do you want your Pastor to be dressed on Sunday morning? Coat? tie? American Eagle?
2. How do you think communion should be served? Does every church have to own those cool gold or silver trays? Why do the episcopalians wipe the cup with the towel? Do they really think that helps?
3. What is the "official Bible translation" used at your church? I know Wayne Grudem thinks it's heresy, but I really like the controversial "gender neutral" TNIV. And I've found very little heresy in it. While we're on the topic, how do you feel about pew Bibles?
Any thoughts out there?
BTW: Something you may not know about me... I am a card carrying member with an honorable with draw from Teamsters local 63. Happy Labor Day!
Do you know why the teamsters have a horse for their mascot?
It's one of the few animals that can sleep standing up!
3 comments:
I have lots of thoughts....but I will contain them to your questions.
1. No coat and tie. But no flip-flops. A happy medium, like casual slacks and a polo shirt, is great. I like it when the pastor and the congregation are wearing the same level (like business casual, or whatever) of clothes.
2. My favorite way to take communion is to remain seated and either get the elements and bring them back, or have them passed to me. I feel like I have more uninterrupted time with God than when I go stand in line to take communion.
3. This really isn't an issue with me at all. Our church uses ESV, but I think I would be cool with anything except maybe the Message. It definitely has its place but seems a little too casual.
1. What would you wear if you had to appear as a witness in superior court? And if you appear before the court of heaven? I'm not saying it has to be a suit and tie, but every culture has appropriate expressions for formal and informal gatherings. Worship should be IMHO a formal gathering, and so our dress as ministers of the gospel should reflect that.
2. Communion should be bread and wine (the prohibition concession to grape juice bugs me). As for the how, I think that as long as it is done corporately with the ordained serving the laity and not the laity serving one another, things are good.
3. Our church uses the ESV and I like it. I think it maintains the strictness of the Greek fairly well in very readable English, and interprets the Hebrew much better and more fluidly than many in the word for word translation camp. There are very good reasons Grudem does not like the gender neutral translations, and I would have a very difficult time making a case against him. If the goal in translation is to preserve what is the inspired intention of the original documents, then the gender neutral translations fail on so many levels.
Cheers!
Joel
P.S. Those sparkly trays are cool, but the little squirty things you use to fill up the cups are even cooler.
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