Be Still and Know
I just read an article by Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life and its many spin-offs, and pastor of Saddleback Church, one of the most successful "seeker-friendly" churches in this country. Pastor Warren is under fire these days for his support of Proposition 8 in California, and President-Elect Obama is under fire for asking Warren to give the prayer invocation at his inaugural a few days from now (Warren. like all of us, is made of both coal and diamonds. I have many disagreements with the pastor, but I admire Obama for making this choice, for continuing to listen to people with whom he does not completely agree).
The article is called How to Make Your Church Guest-Friendly. He lists several points, such as reserving the best parking for the guests, providing refreshment tables, having greeter; all good ideas. He then says this:
Have taped music playing when people enter. InAmerica almost every public building has music playing. Even in theelevator, music is playing. You go into the restroom and music isplaying. You go into a restaurant and music is playing. Why? Becausepeople expect to hear music. If you walked into a church right now andeveryone was dead silent when you walked in, you’d probably beuncomfortable. On the other hand, if you heard fairly loud praise musicplaying, you’d feel much more comfortable.
No, I don't believe I would. In fact, that is the single factor most likely to make me leave before the service has even begun. It's not praise music I object to; my musical tastes run broad and deep. It's the volume, and the imposition. Yes, there is music in every restaurant. Every elevator. Every store. But not because people expect it. It is there to keep us buzzed and buying. Vast sums of marketing dollars have gone into the studies that have resulted in the constant aural assault. I have visited many churches in my travels and I never have returned to one that pummeled me with sound from the moment I entered.
Warren goes on to say:
"Here’s somethinginteresting I’ve found: If you play soft music, people talk softly. Butif you play loud music, people talk louder. When non-Christians comeinto your church, they want it to be noisy. They want to hear what’sgoing on."
How exactly does one hear what's going on in a noisy environment? Understand that I am not saying that church should be silent. Far from it. There are times when the church should erupt into wild celebration. Our response to the birth of Jesus - God-among-us! - and to the Resurrection should be so jubilant that neighbors should be drawn to our holy noise - neighbors, and maybe the police!
But when we first enter, something else is needed. When people walk into my church, I hear them sigh. I see them sink into the great quiet space. Their shoulders relax. Some engage in silent prayer. Some crane their necks to look at the stained glass windows. Some chat in whispers to each other. The first big sound is the voices of organ and choir that open the service, to which is added those of the congregation. The first words spoken are usually these: "Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit", to which we reply, "And blessed be God's kingdom, now and forever." With this we become one people, gathered to hear the stories of our history, and to worship our God with our hearts, minds, and bodies.
It is imperative to make the visitor feel welcome. I agree with Warren on that. My church does have greeters, and ushers, and we do our best to make all feel welcome. The order of worship is printed in the leaflet that is handed to each person who comes in, and it includes everything: hymns, prayers, scripture readings, psalms. This makes it possible for the visitor to participate without feeling mystified by unfamiliar music that everyone else seems to know. We have a hospitality table, too, and a welcome table. But we don't have recorded music playing before the worship service. Most Americans are barraged with relentless recorded sound all the time. We need an occasional, special quiet place, because God speaks to us in many ways, and one of the most profound ways is in silence, as described in 1 Kings 19:11-13:
He [the Lord] said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him.... (NRSV, emphasis mine).
Sometimes we must be allowed to be still, so as to begin to know.