What The Family Feud Tells Us About Worship
This video went viral because it’s considered one of the great “fails” of Family Feud history. Flustered Anna Sass needs only 18 points for her family to win $20,000. That’s eighteen points from five questions, any of which could yield well over 18. Alas, she comes up empty. (You can read the HuffPo article if you want to know if her family ever forgave her. ☺)
What struck me, however, wasn’t so much Anna’s minor tragedy as the answer to the second question she was asked: “Name a place where people check their watch.” She said “airport,” an answer already taken, then responded with “restaurant,” an answer that yielded – you guessed it – no points. The number one answer? A tie between the doctor’s office and church. That’s right, “church” makes it onto the Family Feud as the place most people surveyed assume folks check their watch.
Yikes! Just in case we wondered whether church was a little dull. Or maybe we don’t wonder. Maybe we just accept it. But if you’ve not born into the generation of duty, where you go to church whether you like it or not because you know you should, then the question becomes, “What do we do about it?” What might we change, risk, gamble on, play with in order to invite people who don’t assume being bored for an hour is a virtue? Or, to put it more simply, what might we change so that some of the people we love who don’t come to church might come and find it engaging?
You can watch the video below and, as always, share your thoughts in the comments.
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When I was interviewing with the call committee for my present call, the subject of worship came up. Asked what my style preference was, I answered, “Good.” If we have organ, it needs to be a good organist. Ditto for a praise band. Or readers. Assisting ministers. Certainly preaching. People will respond to all kinds of styles if they’re done well. It’s the substance that matters. I remember learning that the Hebrew word for “holy” can mean “weighty, dense, substantial.” That’s the kind of church experience toward which we should be aiming – the kind that gives you something rich and nourishing. And as soon as I figure out how to do that with regularity, I’ll publish my book and get rich off the proceeds. 😉