The strange thing is that the Episcopal clown service seemed more reverant than my church’s ordinary services. They played a piano rag, but they did not have head-banging, eardrum splitting rock. The last two times my church has served communion, they had a team of singers singing contemporay Christain music while the elements were being passed out. The beat and the volume and the lyrics make it very difficult for the congregation to pray and reflect. There was something about the quietness in the clown service that made it seem almost preferable to what I get nearly every week. Also, at our church, there is a whole lot of clapping. Every time anyone does anything, there is applause. They clap during and after congregational singing, for the choir, for special music, for baptisms. You name it. A lot of clapping goes on. They say, “Give praise to God!” and everybody claps. I can’t judge what is going on in anybody’s heart, but I can tell you I feel mighty disconnected during all this.

I was uncomfortable with the costumes, crossdressing and female actor portraying God in the creation mime when I watched the clown service. I often did not understand what they were doing. I could not understand how it was an outreach when everything was mimed and it seemed that one needed background in the Episcopalian litergy in order to understand what they were miming. And yet, at the same time, there was a quiet solemnity (weird and eerie though it was), and the clown costumes were MUCH more modest than what one often sees on the female members of the “worship team” on the “stage” in the front of my church. They didn’t sing sensual songs about touching and being touched by God and leaning back on Him and feeling His heart beat through His warm chest (songs like that completely shut me down–I cannot sing them, and yet they are sung so often…) I enjoyed the sound of the choir in the clown video.

Do you know what I wish? I wish I could find a church where people loved God above all else, and truly studied His Word, a place where there is respect for elders, love for the traditions passed to us by the saints who went before us, loving discernment of right and wrong. A place where people have attention spans to really delve into God’s revelation of Himself and be amazed by Him. A place of love, where miserable sinners can come and be embraced, accepted and taught to be holy, encouraged to change and grow into the likeness of Christ. A place that sings new music along with the old, but only GOOD new music–a place where music is judged on the basis of what is says and how well the form of the music matches its message, not on how recently it was published.

I wish I could go to a church where reverance is understood and valued and joy doesn’t have to be frenetic and loud. I wish I could go to a church where the Bible is read from the pulpit and explained clearly, and people are challenged to respond to the message and grow. I wish there were a church where people would be excited about learning and living God’s Word, and love each other and encourage each other and NOT rank the spiritual gifts (evangelism=everything and everything else=nothing) and NOT call people who want to live holy lives legalists.

I wish I could go to a church where the pastor has a passion for imparting the Word to his congregation, someone at whose feet I could sit and learn, whom I could trust to bring me the Truth consistently, and who would not be deeply offended if I did occasionally question something he said (Acts 17:11).

Does anybody even know of a church like that?

That’s just me though.

You’re on the right mark here Amy. I get weary of the judge-not argument people toss about when trying to use their emotions to justify their decisions rather than going on Biblical rights/wrongs.

How strange about the clowns.I first thought maybe the clowns were outside of the church to attract unbelievers,like at a picnic.

then it is best to plod your way through the Bible. Study the Bible. Then you will be able to discern between the good and bad concerning today’s hot topic.-Thanks for ” commandment” of the day!!