Fifty Acts 3. Who calls the tune?

This was a new church to me.  One I was aware of in the City, but I had never visited.  20 years ago, they were spoken of in high regard as having a very vibrant youth group, second only to the one at the other side of town.  Until recently I would have said I was pretty traditional when it came to my worship tastes.  Then I went to a kirk up the road a bit and it sort of changed my mind.  Yes there were guitars, screens and no pews, but the place had a spirit to it.  Welcoming without being pushy.  Loud in places, reflective in others.  Complete.

So I went in to church for the morning service, and was taken aback by what I saw.  (Let's get some preliminaries out of the way, the welcome was warm and I didn't get the "who the ???? are you?" vibe that I've had in other places.)  At the front, two guitarists, a singer and a bloke with a clarinet were taking up two thirds of the dias.  The remaining third had the communion table with a cluster of chairs crammed round it, with the elements covered over.

The band started, but people still were milling about.  Some people sung along, a few more talked with friends, and as the first song changed into the second, the balance shifted from the talkers towards the singers.  Some people stood, some sat.

Then the band stopped.  Sort of.  While  the singer gave a call to worship, the guitarist made a rythmic strumming for no apparent reason - a sort of six stringed glossolalia.  Is there something about praise bands that says they have to fill every second with a wall of noise?  She is speaking so let's have some respectful silence.  I realised afterwards that there was no chance for silent contemplation.

As the service progressed, it was clear that the band picked what they wanted to play, with one exception, as the minister mentioned the one song that he had picked that week.  Then we got to the communion.  With a group of elders crammed round the off-centre table, the familiar communion took place, but the elders had to make their way past the band with associated PA systems, stands and cables, and while the elements circulated, the band played on.  The minister wasn't able to proceed with the various stages of the ceremony until the band had finished their song.  I'm ok with a bit of background music, but it's usually the sort of music that tails off when the minister, not the band, is ready to move on.

And then things just crossed my spiritual line in the sand.  The final song was Send the Fire where the lyrics say "And send the promised Holy Ghost / We need another Pentecost / Send the fire today"*1

Another Pentecost?   Seriously?  what's wrong with the Holy Sprit that's all around us, just ready and waiting for us to accept Him?  You want another one?  You want the easy approach where tongues of fire land on you without any effort on your part?  This didn't sit very well with me, and I'm not sure anyone in the congregation really noticed what they were singing.  

Ears ringing I left, probably never to return but praying for their salvation.  Or a power cut.
 
*1 1994 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)