Since I’ve been a father, I’ve been a subscriber to cable television for a total of 36 hours. That is how long it took my wife and me to realize that we were unwilling to pay for that quantity of television for the amount of time we were watching it.
This is not to say that we don’t watch entertainment and educational programming. We do. But we watch that programming over the internet, through a variety of services, on a variety of devices (with sporting events handled the same way or via an over-the-air antenna).
Brandon Hudson
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The decision to go “cable free” was primarily about two issues: we did not feel that the cost of cable was worth the value to our family (it is for some families, this is not a missive against cable) and the schedule of our lives is such that we often cannot sit down to watch shows when they are broadcast. We are a part of that growing demographic whose entertainment lives are almost entirely time-shifted and alternatively procured. We are a part of the demographic that network executives and content producers are struggling to figure out because Neilson ratings do not yet account for our viewing habits and commercial watching (though they will happen as soon as September — all things must change).
We are participating in and witnessing the evolution of media and content delivery. There are large numbers of people who are giving up traditional channels of entertainment in order to be entertained on their schedule, at their comfort and convenience, and in whatever manner they choose.
Churches must not be unaware that this effects faith as well. It is not sufficient to push the traditional Sunday morning worship service because we are called “to continue gathering together” (a paraphrase of Hebrews 10:25). That argument will not hold for many that the church despearately needs to reach. This time-shifted reality ought to be of particular concern to Baptist churches because of our non-sacramental nature (though some are more sacramental than others). In more highly sacramental traditions (think Catholic and Ortho-dox) there is a greater emphasis on regular participation and partaking of the sacraments as avenues of grace and salvation. There is reason, in that rubric, to keep attending church in the traditional sense as there is a blessed and holy moment that cannot be repeated in the comfort of one’s living room.
Baptists, however, have long emphasized the word spoken over the bread broken, and that word spoken is able to be broadcast over traditional television and shared through internet video, podcasts and DVD. This has long been a great ministry to those whose health prohibits them from leaving home, and it is also being used by those who simply do not wish to leave home and live lives dictated by the “Sunday morning schedule.”
In light of this growing trend, if congregations are going to conclude that adherance to the Sunday morning schedule is still important (which may be a wrong decision for some congregations), I would offer the following thoughts of how things must change (in no particular order):
1. Worship services and sermons must become more dialogical. It is not enough for people to be entertained. They can do that from the comfort of their pajama pants. Rather, worship services must harken back to true liturgy, that is “the work of the people.” There needs to be space for response and interaction in a way that people feel compelled to be a true part of the experience and not only a viewer.
2. A greater emphasis on narrative revelation and creativity must occur. If you are on the facebooks, then you know that as soon as a television show airs (say Downton Abbey), several people will begin to post about what happened. Those who watch on a delay or in a time shifted way will do all they can to avoid plot details and spoilers so that they can have the experience of seeing for themselves. Many of our worship services are rutted (not ritualized — that is different). There is no spoiler for people to miss out on because they have seen it all before.
3. We must learn to engage the whole body. When Jesus worked with people and wanted to make an impact, he used touch — from spitting in the mud and rubbing it on eyes to washing feet. Yet, our worship experiences are largely lacking physical contact aside from hand-shaking time. There are ways to make worship more kinesthetic, not just raising one’s hands to praise, but experiencing the fullness of indwelling this God given body in acts and experiences of worship. (We must also pay attention in this arena to those who are disabled and find ways of further inclusion.)
4. We must embrace and promote the art of gathering together for the sake of community and accountability. We can often be individuals simply sitting together on Sunday mornings. Many churches have members who have sat beside each other for years, but don’t really know one another. This lack of connection makes attendance optional, particularly when the worship service itself (or an even more entertaining one) can be viewed from home. We must know one another and celebrate togetherness in a deeper way.
These thoughts are nowhere near exhaustive. They may not even be right. But I do believe that we can and must wade through these waters of change together or be left behind entirely.
What do you think?
Brandon Hudson ([email protected]) is senior pastor of Northwest Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. He blogs at www.re-imago.com.