We were in Hays this last weekend seeing my son and his family (our new granddaughter). While there, we had the opportunity to worship at the local Church of Christ.
This building was where I was baptized 32-some odd years ago, where we married, and where we got acquainted with our Christian family. Only one person is still there who was there when we were there those years ago.
The congregation has changed over the years. I’ve sort of tried to keep track of them and what is happening with them. They’ve had preachers, preacher problems, high attendance, low attendance, and everything in between.
But one thing I noticed about the worship at Hays, compared with Topeka or Wichita was the nature and tenor of the service. The service was…well…the best word to describe it is “primitive”.
Now, that’s not a bad term. The way I’m using it, it means simple, easy-going, home-spun, unpretentious, not showy or glitzy. And don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not saying that worship in Topeka or Wichita is pretentious, showy, or glitzy. What I’m saying is that there’s a world of difference in worship in rural areas and small churches, and the larger, more metropolitan assemblies. I think that’s true in any denomination.
Is one right and the other wrong? Of course not. Do some people prefer one over the other? Yes, they do. Some prefer the slower paced, simpler services. Others like the more organized and polished variety.
Do they both get the job done? It depends on what you think “the job” of worship assembly is. For the answer to this question, you have to search your own heart. I can’t do that for you.
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