Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Lutherans blogging

I've just (somehow) found a Lutheran blog with a very very funny piece. The blog is Horn + Swoggled and it seems that there are maybe nearly as meny Lutheran blogs out there to match the Catholic ones. And as is the case with us, the Lutherans that are blogging are mostly pretty traditional and orthodox.

Anyway the story I came across was on Liturgy Card Girls Highlight Blended Worship.
Faced with an alarming absence of men in its pews, one Iowa church is borrowing from successful fight promoters in a new form of "blended worship" designed to please a wide audience. The Third United Methodist Church of Ames will continue to use the historic liturgical form of worship, but has begun using bikini-clad "liturgy card girls" to announce each new part of the traditional service.

"Men are staying away more and more on Sunday morning," said Pastor William Knight, a 52-year-old former marketing consultant. "We need to do whatever it takes to fulfill the Great Commission by winning men's hearts for God."

Knight initially proposed scrapping liturgical worship altogether, replacing it with a contemporary football-themed service. When some younger members complained that they desired to deep the "solemnity" of the liturgy, Knight struck a compromise involving the liturgy card girls.

"We're all going to have to sacrifice if we're going to re-engage men in the life of the church," said Pastor Knight. "That includes some young women who are going to have to sacrifice some of their clothing for the sake of their erring Christian brothers."

Oh dear. I'm not sure if it's working and I wonder what kind of men it's bringing to the liturgy.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's foul.

Anonymous said...

Aaron

Have you read the www.cathnews.com.au discussion forum or the infamous www.catholica.com.au ??

http://www.catholica.com.au/specials/youthperspectives/001_yp_261206.php Just read what someone around your age has contributed to the Catholica site. It just left me not knowing whether I should suicide or have a breakdown. The editor states that one can see that the writer has had a Jesuit education!!!

Go and have a look.

I am quite up to date on sacred music if you ever would like to discuss things or need advice and or uploads feel free to ask. To whet your appetite I have been a soloist at several Card ratzinger liturgies.

Anonymous said...

Aaron
website link again
Have you read the www.cathnews.com.au discussion forum or the infamous www.catholica.com.au ??

http://www.catholica.com.au/specials/youthperspectives/001_yp_261206.php

.

Anonymous said...

Aaron, thanks for the link. By the way, just for those who might not get it (and a lot of 1st-time visitors don't), Horn+Swoggled is purely satire. Although it's getting harder and harder to satirize the American church, because it keeps coming up with stuff I can't imagine.

Anonymous said...

pontificance. I read CathNews daily however refuse to get involved in the discussions. I tend to save my breath! To sing or serve for Ratzi would be sensational.