social connection is the reason we rode our bikes 9 miles one way this past sunday morning ... the social connection part was for 20 min prior to and about 1 hour after the official "church" part ... they had a pot luck meal which was a drawing card for us ... and come to think of it i did check FB during the "official" segment as well as send and receive text messages from family and friends over 1900 miles away ... interesting connections all the way around ... we also connected with a couple who is on a similar journey as we are ... will be interesting to see what becomes of that new friendship

That's part of the reason why I shared this post. It was interesting to go to "your" church with you a while back. I could be wrong about this, but it seemed like the social aspect was a big part of how that community has hung around for so many years.

oh a oh
I met your children
oh a oh
What did you tell them?
;)

Okay, so it's possible that Gen Xers were more fervent in their belief that church is hypocritical, homophobic, political, etc BECAUSE they had little other option for social connection and felt forced to go to church (to an extent?).

I've often wished churches would simply discontinue the sermon and just focus on the more contemplative and social aspects of church.

I've never heard of that song/poem, Jough. :)

It would be awesome to attend a church like that, though.

It is from "Video Killed the Radio Star", A song about how technology changed the way rock stars are born.

I would love to never sit through another sermon the rest of my life. When I am seeking any kind of "teaching" I usually read books, or listen to podcasts. I know there is a whole theology around the "preaching of The Word" but sermons seem pretty obsolete to me (and boring).

Same here.

There's also the monologue factor. Sermons are a one-way flow of information and ideas. There (usually) isn't room for conversation or questions while it's happening.

I'm going to disagree, jough. (If I'm good for anything, it's a bit of disagreement, right?) I love books and podcasts as well, and I think each has its place. (The latter's place is in my car while I'm commuting to work so that I don't have to listen to the radio.) But I'd also argue that oratory has its place, namely as a tool for teaching and moving these people at this moment. Alas, I've been present when "sermons" ignored particularity so that they could sound more like popular books, but when a sermon is delivered as a sermon, I think it does genuine good.

As for sermons' being boring, I'll not deny that I've nodded off during some. But I've also gotten tired and cranky on hikes. I suppose my own tendency is to assume not that I should avoid listening or hiking but that I should get myself in better shape to do both.

Which is why I love home group/book club/whatevs. Ours is a culture that truly needs more social interaction and has unprecedented access to the flow of information. Do I really need one more 20 minute information dissemination a week? Probably not, but I'm kinda feeling the need for more conversation.

ngilmour said:

oratory has its place, namely as a tool for teaching and moving these people at this moment.

I'd say it takes exceptional/rare talent to do this. Much rarer than the churches dotting the landscape. Personally, I don't remember a time when I've felt "spoken to" in this way during a sermon. Perhaps I've just experienced bad preachers? (but I've experienced alot)

Possibly. And I'm not saying that when I preach (which is only three or four times a year) it's spectacular. I am saying that the homily (which doesn't have to be twenty minutes, but I don't have a gigantic problem with twenty minutes) is an oratory arranged and delivered to me and to my neighbors in that moment, something that I can't say for any book I've ever read. And while I think that book clubs and Sunday school have their place, I'm still old-school enough to regard the sermon, with its roots in the classical rhetorical tradition, as one of those legacies I'm interested in preserving.