Soccerchic Scribblings

Tradition or lack of personal devotion?

Why is it that you do what you do? What makes you get up Sunday morning and go to church? What makes you go that extra mile to help someone out, despite the fact that you have a crazy busy schedule?

These are the questions that we should ask ourselves every once in a while. Why do I do what I do? Hopefully the answer is more then "That is the way I've always done it," or "My parents raised me that way." It is so easy to fall into a rut, and meaninglessly (I think I just made a new word:) live out the same life that you have been living for the past five years. Or do something for all the wrong reasons just because you never really examined your motives.

This thought occured to me again as I sat in church on Sunday morning and sang yet another familar hymn. Suddenly I realized that I had absolutely no clue what I was singing. I knew the words, I had learned them years ago in Sunday school - and they had stuck in my head cause we sing the song every once in a while in church. After all, we have 493 songs - we don't sing about 1/3 of them, and we sing about 12 each Sunday. Then add into that equation Bible Study, catechism, youth group, and things like that - eventually you get to know these songs, at least the more popular ones. Some of these hymns are filled with deep meaning and rich words - some not so much, or the tune just kills them. Yet, the question that rose in my head was this:

If we were to be less formal in the way we handle our services, would that be better for the church in the sense that we would have to focus more because we aren't following such a strict and rigid cycle. Like I mean, we have an order of worship, and it's a good one involving us talking to God, God's response and so forth. Yet, it has been the exact same way for the past 10 years - most people can turn themselves on auto pilot when they walk through the church doors. Or, is it merely each person's responsibility to make sure they are focused and prepared for worship - and by each person doing that, our worship will be more meaningful and productive?

Has tradtion dominated our lives, or have we found a balance, and now we need to make sure we personally are alert?

posted by Adventures of a Girl @ 4:45 PM