We've had our annual revival meetings at church all week. The speaker is Anthony Troyer from Nebraska, dad to Jennifer, the sweet young Mrs. Baker who teaches at BMS with Paul and Amy.
(Their whole family, including Anthony's parents, came out for the week to spend time with their daughter. They were here for supper last night and I watched Mrs. Troyer and Jennifer interact and thought sad thoughts about how this could someday be me, going halfway across the country to spend time with my married daughter.
But maybe by some phenomenal uncharacteristic-Yoder-or-Smucker fluke I will have all my married children living within a 20-mile radius of me like Jennifer's MIL Zelma does.)
Anyway. I've been enjoying the services but tonight I stayed home with a fever and sore throat. Going away every night gets wearying but I don't mind if, as in this case, the preaching goes to the heart and it's a time of renewal.
However, I have a small complaint about revival meetings and that is altar calls.
(For any unchurched readers, an altar call is traditionally an opportunity at the end of a sermon for people to walk to the front of the church to demonstrate that they are ready to "be saved"-- to confess their sins and accept Jesus into their lives. It can also be an opportunity for already-saved people to make a public commitment based on the sermon--e.g. to promise to forgive an enemy or to spend more time in prayer.)
When I was a very small and sensitive child, altar calls were torturous emotionally. Revival meetings back then were pretty much the old tent-meeting/sawdust trail experience of multi stanzas of gentle songs, a pleading preacher, and the sense of eternity hanging in the balance. Even when I had absolutely no reason to feel guilty, altar calls plunged me into terrible sense of condemnation.
Since then, thankfully, altar calls have been less emotional experiences. But I still get a "just-get-me-out-of-here" feeling when they start singing Just As I Am.
My opinion is: preach it, invite us to come pray with you afterwards if we need to, and then let me go home and work it out between God and me.
I have been told that the justification for altar calls is that a commitment often "sticks" better if you make it public.
I have also heard that Mars Hill church in Seattle did a survey and found that altar calls were such scary experiences that they decided to eliminate them and have people fill out 3x5 cards instead. But maybe these modern young churches just try to make it all too easy--is there value to walking through the fire, so to speak, to take your stand with Jesus?
The obvious question: did Jesus have altar calls? My impression of Jesus and the apostles is that they spoke the message and then expected people to make up their own minds and, if they believed what they'd heard, to go home and start living like it.
However, that's obviously viewing Scripture through my biased lenses.
I guess I should do a study on this: is there a Scriptural basis for altar calls? If not, is there a valid non-Scriptural reason to continue, just as there is technically no Scriptural basis for making my boys wear dress pants to church?
I don't expect our church or any others to change their policy based on my opinion. But if Paul the preacher husband ever gets called away to conduct a week of revival meetings, I just may have a bit of influence. . .
Quote of the Day:
"He had 70 um's in one sermon."
--Steven, about a revival-meeitng preacher in the past
Let me state to start with that as I look back on my life I feel like I have been blessed by altar calls. There are two in particular that are high points in my walk with the Lord. The opportunity to publicly show my surrender to the work God wanted to do in my life was rewarding. I am not sure about Jesus, but it seems like John the Baptist would preach emotional sermons and then have people who repented come forward and be baptised. That sounds similar to an altar call. Due to your negative experiences as a child I can see how they would be difficult for you, but I think it is one means God uses to shake people loose. I hope your husband if he ever preaches in such a setting is open to using altar calls as God directs him.
ReplyDeleteDave & I go to and minister at a "Seeker" church. One of those "kicking the tires" of Christianity churches. From its beginning, Cross Timbers Community Church has been all about a "Welcome Home" atmosphere. So many people at our church are baby Christians or people returning to church after having had bad experiences or some who have never set foot in a church. The ministry of the church is to love and make people feel at ease. Which is why one of our biggest ministries in our church is the Biker Ministry! Our Pastor dresses casually, no one is put on the spot or has attention drawn to them. What has happened is that people are drawn to church and can't wait to come back. Our Pastor says,
ReplyDelete"It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. Ours isn't the only way, it's just one of the ways to reach people."
We must be doing something right since in just 7 years, our church has grown from 12 families to over 5,000. We have 8 service times on 3 different campuses. I think God cares about the kingdom growing larger and hell growing smaller. Whether it's people being saved one at a time at an altar call or one at a time by people consistently showing God's love to a person in a "non-threatening" way, the bottom line is souls being added to the kingdom. (Our church shows acceptance for the individual not condoning though of whatever sin is going on in their lives). I personally believe that as unique as each one of us has been created that there's no "one size fits all" when it comes to churches.
Connie
I feel exactly the same way. I sit on the front row at church and dread the weekly altar call. I start panicking, wondering if the sermon applies to me and my heart starts racing. There have only been a couple of occasions where I was sure I needed to go up. Part of me understands why altar calls are needed, But I am a very private person, and unfortunately sometimes altar calls can encourage gossip. like, "oh look, debbie went up front and the sermon was about divorce, is her marriage breaking up." and next thing I know everyone thinks I'm getting divorced, when really there was some obscure part of the sermon that spoke to me and I just needed to get right with God about something totally different.(no that didn't happen, just an example) Know what I mean?
ReplyDeleteIt's also difficult sometimes not to get cynical about the people who are at every altar call. Sometimes I have to close my eyes so I can't see who's up there.
And sometimes altar calls feel so manipulative(not of the come down and accept Christ variety, but the more random ones)when the preacher/pastor puts out an emotional appeal that some people simply cannot resist.
I've been thinking about this alot lately. I haven't really come to any conclusions, though. I think that we simply must know ourselves well enough to know if we need that sort of public display or if we need to take ourselves off somewhere quiet and let God deal with us. I've discovered that many times God will have dealt with me about the issue at hand the week before the sermon, so I am able to simply pray for those who come up.
but there are also times when it is very obvious that the Holy Spirit is in our midst(corporately rahter than just individually), ministering to the broken hearted. Perhaps it is better to have the altar calls if even one person has a true moment of repentance.
Sorry to ramble so long and Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this subject, I suspect it can be a pretty controversial one.
I am another one of those that now goes to a “Seeker” church, and I love it…. with the “rubber hits the road” approach to ministry that is present. While we don’t have alter calls there are plenty of opportunities that are non threatening to publicly acknowledge your commitment to Christ. I was “saved” from the fires of hell when I responded to an old well meaning preacher that literally preached hellfire and damnation but it wasn’t until years later that I began a real relationship with Christ. I think my early walk down the isle to the front of the little Mennonite church was mostly so I could sleep at night and so I didn’t have to face the remaining weekend of meetings and alter calls thinking that my parents and friends would think I was a rebel if I didn’t surrender right then and there… so I have to agree with you on alter calls…
ReplyDeleteI see your point, but I for one like altar calls. I think its very appropriate after a person has heard a very soul-searching message that there is a time to "switch camps" if there is the need for that. I personally like to open myself up to God during an altar call, to see if I need help in a certain area in my life. Because if I do..He certainly has let me know...
ReplyDeletePersonally I think some Mennonites are too stuck in their 'seats.' Sometimes it seems like it would take a crow-bar to pry some of them loose and what would it hurt to get up and acknowlege that they DO have some needs and issues in their lives and then it would be a excellent oppurtunity for the rest of us to come along side of them and lift them up and encourage them?
But then again, I realize this is only my opinion, but I feel quite strongly about this.
I also see where you are coming from with your opinion. :)
One more thing I should add...I know I tend to like drama, so maybe some of my comment fits into that?! :)
ReplyDeleteI like the dialog that is going on here! Good topic!
ReplyDeleteI thought I'd contribute another thought or possible two into the mix.
Just yesterday morning, while we were at church, I looked over at a woman with her teenage son in the row in front of us. While the rest of us had risen to our feet to sing at Communion time, she was on her knees on the hard gymnasium floor, hands lifted up to God, answering her own private altar call! I loved that!
When we went to the "class" that explained the history, philosophy, goals & mission of Cross Timbers 7 years ago, this concept has stayed with me. Our Pastor simply said,
"Don't tell me I can't and I won't tell you that you have to."
In any one of our church services, you'll see people going forward after the service for prayer with any of the elders. You'll see an occassional guy in a suit and tie because that is one of the ways he feels he respects and worships God. Sitting in the same row is most likely a biker wearing his leathers. Some people will stand & sing, others sit and sing. My husband doesn't feel comfortable lifting his hands in praise, I'm just the opposite! I'm ready to jump up & down, my arms probably have been cleared for take-off and I'm singing at the top of my lungs!
Since God looks at the heart, the inner man and not the outward appearance, He can see the motives and the intent. Whether it's a private response in our own row to our own private altar call or going forward for prayer, God is looking for our obedience.
Connie
From what I understand, altar calls are a relatively recent thing, having started in the early 1800s under Charles Finney. My response to them is much the same as yours, Dorcas.
ReplyDeleteI didn't grow up with alter calls & I hate them. They seem manipulative & I would question the genuiness of commitment under pressure. But I like to keep my disputes wiwth God just between the two of us too.
ReplyDeleteI think an altar call can be a man pleasing outward action, but not so different from baptism. In both, you really have to overcome your fear of public identification with Christ, if there is any social shame or unpopularity about the decision, but also, in both cases you could be eager to do this if you thought it was the popular thing to do. It would have much more meaning if it might cost you your life to do it. But in a culture where you think you will be more accepted for doing it, it could be just an outward show with not much real going on inside. I have seen both types, and God knows which are truly His. I believe we are called to give a visible witness of our identification with Christ, but mere talk and walking to the front of an altar are cheap compared to living out the faith in your life.
ReplyDelete