The Rebel Yell in Church

The Rebel Yell in Church

The Rebel yell is an historian's delight. No one living knows for certain what it was. Whatever it sounded like (and people disagree), it was the distinctive battle cry of the Confederate soldier.

One Sunday morning a man sits in church. As the service progresses, his jaw clinches tighter. As he tells it, he remembers sitting through the song leader's leading the congregation through endless repetitions of "a meaningless ditty" called "Draw Me Close to You."

His jaw is clinching because the song has no theological content and one could just as easily sing it in a night club. (He ought to know; he's been to many.) Finally the repetitions are over and his jaw starts to slacken as the song leader yells, "Let's sing it again, shall we?"

It was then that it happened – the congregant with clinched teeth can stand it no longer. He throws back his head and lets loose with a loud, "NO!" His wife cringes as heads all around his pew spin in his direction. There. He did it. A rebel's yell in church.

He's thought about his rebel yell since then and offers no apology. Maybe he has a point. As he's considered the matter, he's come to the conclusion that much of the music written for the church today reflects a trend that has taken worship into the la-la land of entertainment. The church as amusement park.

He thought further and noticed that churches have come to reflect this architecturally: they look like theaters with ear-splitting sound systems befitting the local Cineplex. When he turned on his radio, he realized that far too many Christian radio stations have dumped the serious sermon for 24/7 music. If not a 100% devotion to music, one once-fine Christian radio network has gone to a deliberate 88% music format.

He learned that one Christian radio station recently dropped a four-minute Christian speaker because he was "too serious," and besides, they said, "In that time we could play one more song." Going even farther, they explained, "We don't want to do anything that will upset our listeners." Something serious, their surveys showed upsets them and they might change the dial.

He learned that their demographic was younger women who "want something to help them cope with life." Whatever the role of music is, its role cannot be to replace the solid teaching of the Word of God.

But as one author wrote, "Most churches should say, 'We interrupt this concert to bring you a sermon.'"
He concluded that many Christian radio stations and churches have opted to give people what they want, not what they need, and that such an attitude shows itself all over the place. A Christian publisher tells a Christian author to make sure that his next book is to be no more than 200 pages because Christians aren't going to read anything longer (which, being interpreted means, it won't sell).

The rebel yeller researches further and finds a famine in the land of in-depth teaching via sermon and book. Why is that? He concludes, "In-depth teaching is something Americans find increasingly difficult." Why is that? He points to a recent survey which shows that the average college graduate's proficiency in English has dropped from 40% (!) in 1992 to 31% in 2006. This study means that one out of every three college graduates does not have the ability to read complex texts and draw complicated inferences. Therefore, one out of every three college graduates is incapable of reading a book or following a serious sermon.

But if we want to develop a Christian worldview through the study of the doctrines of Scripture, we must move beyond John 3:16 and its statement of faith alone in Christ alone, which is the essence of the simplicity of the gospel. We must move into the epistles (et al.), those of which Peter writes, like Paul's writings which he says are complex and require thought (II Peter 3:15-16). We must be like the "noble Bereans" and produce sermons fit for the study and the searching of the Scriptures to "see if these things be so."

Who is this rebel yeller who rebelled right smack dab in the middle of church? Charles Colson, Watergate co-conspirator who demands more than a self-help, feel-good-about-yourself, focus-on-me sermonette that produces Christianettes.

Dr. Mike Halsey,
Pastor, County Line Church

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