Having Fun in Church
Can we have fun in church? Like, really have a good time and take pleasure in God’s world in church? I’m not asking if it is possible, or if that is the purpose of church, but if we are even capable of allowing ourselves to have fun in church.
A couple of weeks ago at my church the topic was having faith like a child. The teaching time ended with our pastor throwing bouncy balls around the room instigating an all-church ball fight followed by finger-painting and blowing bubbles. Yes, my church is a tad quirky. But what I took away from that morning was not so much the childlikeness of these acts, but how unusual it was for people to allow themselves to have fun in church. We were tearing down our barriers, abandoning church propriety, and simply allowing ourselves to be in the moment enjoying life. It felt good.
Now I am one of the first to argue that the point of church shouldn’t be to attract and entertain the masses. Coming to church to hear what we want to hear and sing our favorite songs has very little to do with following Jesus. But neither does checking our personalities at the door and assuming a generic “churchgoer” persona every time we gather at church. For some churches that involves pretending that monotone recitation and droning songs are actually soul-inspiring and their preferred way to express their spirituality. For others it’s dressing up in the church costume (never been in fashion anywhere anytime dowdy skirts, ugly floral shirts, dark hose, and unstylish yet still uncomfortable shoes), clutching that oversized study-Bible, taking sermon notes you will never read again, and mindlessly singing lyrics you don’t really believe while hoping no one finds out that you really enjoy Lady Gaga and had a couple of beers with friends the night before. People feel like they must play a part in order to even be at church – acting out a lie in order to fit in. Is this the point of church?
For most churches personality and pleasure are so denigrated that the idea of allowing oneself to have fun in church (or even admit that you have fun outside of church) is beyond comprehension. But if we can’t enjoy God’s diverse creation and express our true selves when we gather as the body of Christ, where can we? I know life shouldn’t be dichotomized into sacred and secular, but it seems like we’ve divided it in truth into church and then all the places we really experience God. Why is spiritual joy constrained to uncomfortable pews when just about every person in those pews would admit that they experience far more joy at a day at the lake with friends or playing a game of catch with their kids? Why do we have to turn to TV and dinner clubs to connect with others who can express with us the intense pleasures to be found in good food? For that matter, why are our blog conversations about theology far more meaningful that what we get at church? Sure, I get that all of life can be called “church,” but so why is real life kept away from the place where we gather as the church?
God created us to experience pleasure, to take joy in the wonders of creation and the church has decided to blatantly ignore that part of ourselves within its walls. I know it goes against our cultural conditioning to allow ourselves to be who God created us to be as we gather as a church, but I wish having fun in church wasn’t so taboo. Throwing bouncy balls around in church felt weird because it was weird. We let down our guard and enjoyed the moment. We let the lines between the church façade and the enjoyment of life blur for a moment and something magical happened. I’m not saying here that we should get rid of structured church, or teaching, or songs and liturgy, just that we also allow God to be bigger than all those things. God gave us so much in this world to take pleasure and find joy in, why do we pretend to ignore that in church as if we are ashamed of God’s gifts? Let’s have fun in church, or at least stop hiding and start embracing and celebrating the holiness of how God created us to experience and enjoy pleasure. We all already admit such things are from God, why do we act otherwise when we gather as the body of Christ?
julieclawson(at)gmail(dot)com 
Is worship for us or for God?
I don't know where in the Bible it talks about "fun," but it does talk about joy, and joy should certainly be a part of most of our worship services. The Psalms, for instance, have examples of nearly every human emotion imaginable. But fun? I'm not sure that I can find a place where Jesus expanded the kingdom by "fun".
You can bounce balls at home. Church should be sacred – now, sacred doesn't mean boring, but it does mean that we should rethink categories like "fun." If God is the ultimate and sole Good, and the experience and contemplation of God is the greatest joy, then bouncy balls and raffling off x-boxes and all the other quirky things we do to keep people coming to church instead of to the football game are exercises in missing the point.
Besides, most Protestant churches already have a designated time for "fun" that generally does very little to glorify God or help us grow in grace: the "children's moment." It is very doubtful that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacon will transform us into His children if our chief concern is to let our "personality" shine through, or to conform the Body of Christ to our culture's impoverished idol called "fun."
Great post Julie! Thanks for bringing this up.
So Mack, forgive me if you were joking; perhaps your humor is too subtle for me. But if you were serious, might I ask, would you consider David (the Psalmist) gettin all nekked and dancing before the Lord counting more as a proper, approved "experience and contemplation of God" as compared to the "children's moment" that, as you say, "does very little to glorify God"? I personally find that, at least in my faith community, the chidren's moment does in fact help me grow in grace. And I assume that when Jesus said things like, "Let the little children come to me…" and "…Until you become like children you cannot enter the Kingdom…", that he was not being serious like he should've been?
I find it troubling how often, when people speak of the holiness of God, they often use the phrase, "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And I think of how, perhaps if those three would witness when people say this, they might say something like, "Do they realize that we were real, flawed, goofy people too?" Furthermore, if God made us in his image, why would he not be interested in letting "our personality shine through"? And finally, if you were requesting a direct answer to your question, I sometimes wonder, Does God really NEED our worship? I think we need it more than him. But that's just my opinion, and I mean no disrespect to your position, Mack. It can be helpful to have people who try to keep us all in line sometimes.
(If I may, I recommend another "heretical" glimpse at a related topic I recently wrote about here: http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/brown-where-the-edges-meet – While I don't advocate all the things done by the group about which I write, they do have a point…Christians need to get over themselves and lighten up. Geez, people, c'mon.) Thanks again Julie!
Great post, Julie. I think the false image we have constructed about what it means to be a Christian is so deeply engrained in many of our psyches that for some, it is impossible to imagine any other way of doing or being church. From an early age we were fashioned, or baptized, into being good "citizens" instead of good "disciples" and being a good citizen meant you acted with manners, always smiled, and didn't show emotion – especially "fun." And if you did, certainly not in church where we put on Sunday's best and even though mom cussed dad out the whole way to church because she's tired and the kids are acting like brats, the moment we walked into church, TA DA! We faked it.
Thanks for this healthy reminder.
Great post, Julie.
I pastor a church in North Florida, a recent church plant for that matter. One of the greatest compliments I feel that I get about our new start-up church is that we are down to earth in our expression of worship and in our teaching style. ( I hope we are achieving that and will do so for a very long time.)
I understand that your reference to the illustration with the bouncy balls was probably a one-time usage to drive home the fact that what brings us joy, laughter, and fun outside of the church walls could and should be available to do so inside as well. (Brilliant illustration, I might add.) We do not check who we are at the door of the church.
I have found that in our services and in my messages there might be various moods or feelings that prevail in each service. Sometimes, the band just nails a worship song and it is absolutely awesome and I want more. Sometimes, I express my message with a ton of funny stories and we all laugh. Other times I have felt very emotional during my message and have cried in front of our whole crowd.
Various expressions have happened in me as well as the people of CANVAS Church during services because we endevour to bring the large range of who we are into each service as we gather together. Our goal is to bethe same in church as we are Monday through Saturday and to be the same Monday through Saturday as we are in church.
Do you know where I can get a bulk order of bouncy balls?
Aaron Maners
http://canvaschurch.net
tell 'em to just wait – on the 11th we're having a party and roller-skating!!!!!! theme for that day? celebration of god's many good gifts.
or, we could just sit and pray and behave …
Chad – fantastic distinction between disciples and citizens. Generally the most inauthentic an fake place in the world is a church on Sunday mornings – no one allows themselves to be real much less who God made them to be
Mack – of course worship is about God, but if God created us to enjoy pleasure and experience joy, why do we tell God that not only do we not want to worship that aspect of him but that we are going to keep it out of the church? Church can be sacred and point us towards God (although on a very practical level, that is only a very small part of what happens at church), but what about sacred implies that it has to be solemn? What about worship and rejoicing implies that it must be quiet and sober all the time?
You call the children's time a meaningless moment of fun. Why is Christ's command that to enter the kingdom of heaven we must become like little children so off-putting to you? Having fun isn't a gimmick to get butts in seats or a sell out to culture, it is part of what it means to reflect the image of God in our lives. All throughout scripture we are commanded to be glad and rejoice. "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God," or "But be glad and rejoice forever" or "I will be glad and rejoice in your love."
In Deut. 14 God's people are told told to use their tithe money to buy wine or other fermented drink bring it to consume before the Lord and rejoice. Psalm 104 lists the glories of creation that we can take delight in "He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. " The Lord rejoices in his works and we are to sing such praises with him. Saying to God that these commands don't fit our image of church, or that we are too uncomfortable to worship and praise God for the pleasures in life seems to really be putting God in a box. Why do we give culture and everything but God the credit for how he shaped our souls? Instead of fearing fun, and glad hearts, and pleasure because we have divorced them from their source, I think the better route would be to reclaim them and bring them back to where they belong.
Julie,
I can't take credit for the disciple vs. citizen line – I believe I borrowed it from Will Willimon.
wow – I had not even read Mack's comment about the children's time being "meaningless." In my church, I make a big deal of this special time for the children each Sunday. As the father of 5 kids, all 7 and under, I have watched how these moments inspire and shape their young imaginations for the better. But even more than that, it sends a much needed message to our young and old alike within the church: KIDS MATTER. I hate the adage, "Kids are the future of the church." No. They ARE the church today – and tomorrow.
I've also been in a few churches where it seemed the only point was having fun…I think it's about balance. Solemnity and joy are both part of it. Oh and Julie, there are people who do find tremendous meaning in liturgy.
Well said. From a gal who would rather spend the day on a lake than in church I get this (and I am a pastor, so I am supposed to love my days in church). The catch is how to pull it off. How be excited about worship rather than working so hard to make worship exciting. Not to be entertained of course but if we are indeed made in the good ole' image of God then God does indeed have a sense of humor. Oh, and we threw balls two weeks ago in church. it was awesome.
Lol.
THAT'S why I don't go to adult groups at church.
One of the things I love about my faith community is being able to laugh with children and enjoy learning about Jesus and worshipping Him together. Last weekend this involved safari hats, rope, wooden trail posts, singing, walking like an Egyptian, throwing crumpled paper across the room as we talked about what it looks like to have a heart like God's heart…and eating a snack of golden grahams, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. I came away from that experience more convinced that God delights in me and truly notices who I am and what my heart was born to do…just like He did for David in I Samuel 16.
Dr. Dorsett used to quote his wife, Mary as saying: "It is a SIN to make church boring." Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children…and unless we become like them we won't enter the kingdom. In recent years, I've begun to wonder if He wasn't talking about the kingdom we'll experience in heaven, but rather perhaps He meant that unless we become like little children–innocent, unpretentious, affectionate, expectant, etc., we won't experience the kingdom HERE.
Rick – heck yeah the roller party will be awesome
Christina – hi!!! and good thoughts about how we should be here and now
Melanie – I completely understand that liturgy hold great meaning for a lot of people. I also know that there are people who can't stand it and get nothing out of it but who do it because that's the way it's always been done. To me that's putting God in a box – making worship about our traditions/preferences/hang-ups instead of a place where we can connect to God in a language people understand. To me it's not an either/or sort of question. God is bigger than our traditions and comfort zones. I personally don't connect to God through liturgy or through praise and worship contemporary services – for me to feel like those are the only ways I am allowed to worship God seems insulting to the God who created the entire universe (not that you were saying that at all, just how I see the whole thing).
Like I said before, the point isn't to banish solemnity or lament or contemplation. Or seek to merely entertain. There is a huge difference between being passively entertained and having space for one's souls to sing. Suppressing that song in our soul because we somehow think it isn't welcome in the church is where my issue lies.
This parallels exactly the biggest argument that broke out in my worship class in seminary. The issue with children's sermons is not whether children are or are not important (of course they are!), but rather what purpose these "sermons" actually serve. In most places I have been, children's moments are an opportunity for parents to gawk and their cute and erratic children, and little else. We argue about how often we should celebrate the Lord's Supper, but don't try to skip a children's sermon! I think that it is better to involve children in other important and visible ways; have them read scripture, sing songs, do a skit, pass the plates…ANYTHING but showing them a magic trick or telling them a joke and calling it a sermon. The sentimental, the "cute" is a worship killer.
I'm not entirely opposed to diverse forms of worship, either. I, too, bow the gods of powerpoint on occasion. I'm a Methodist, we are historically very flexible when it comes to where and how we worship – and this is a good thing.
God did not create us to experience "pleasure" or "joy" in the abstract, or as understood by a culture that knows more about Spring Break than Saint Paul, but rather the pleasure of knowing him and the joy of serving him. Joy and praise and all that are great, as long as they are directed towards God. This is a hard row to hoe, though (many churches down here in the South, for instance, think that watching a gospel quartet for an our constitutes worship).
We are fragile beings, who constantly want to direct our worship towards someone or something other than God. I fear that far too much of what passes for "fun" or "relevant" or "praise" worship is ultimately junk food: something that tastes good, that leaves you coming back for more, and yet is ultimately vacuous.
One final question: why a moment with children, and not some other segment of the gathered community? Why not a "men's moment," a "women's moment," and a "retiree moment"? My suspicion is that many churches are bowing to the family values gospel. At the end of the day, it is thus implied, the church's primary importance as an institution is to help couples raise "good" kids…which is a far cry from the vocation given to the church in the New Testament.
Wow Mack.
So I am going to just say that I utterly disagree that God was not the one who gave us the capability for pleasure. If not God then who – Satan, making all pleasure evil? This is a heresy that the medieval church debated long and hard. And it is a heresy that has recently surfaced again in the Western church mostly as part of anti-homosexual rhetoric (i.e. the purpose of sex can never be pleasure if we define pleasure as not being of God).
But I get a bit of what you are saying about worship services. I get the feeling that some high church people here are assuming that by "fun" in services I am talking about contemporary evangelical happy clappy, powerpointy, padded chair sorts of things. Imho, those can be (and often are) the most fake and put-on things out there. And I get that kids should be involved in the whole process of church – creating an intergenerational worship experience that doesn't segregate. That said, as a mom I would stop going to church if there was not something for the kids during the service. There is no point in trying to focus on God while trying to contain two high energy kids under 5. And honestly this is the first time in my life I have been in a church with a children's sermon. I used to be opposed to them too, thinking them condescending and a message that kids weren't a part of the real church body. Now, I'm not so sure. Yes, they can be cute. Yes, they can be simple. But letting children experience God in a language they understand even if it is cute or sentimental would only be a worship killer if one assumes God hates children or is the sober solemn boring old guy in the sky. That is not the God I worship. To put God in a box, to constrict God by our definitions when the scriptures are so full of images that help us begin to glimpse the infinite divine reeks far more of idolatry than worship. But maybe that's just me.
I'd also add that the children's sermon times at our church, Journey, are a lot different than most of the children's sermons I've seen done in other churches – much more interactive for the kids and way more chaotic, which is what makes them worthwhile IMHO. For our community it's a continual reminder that we're not in control of what happens in worship, and that God will show up wherever she damn well pleases, no matter what we try to do to manipulate her. I love it.
I usually attend a very happy church in a poor mountainside community near the capital of Honduras. However, Sunday I was invited to hear a friend preach in the capital as a guest speaker. I went, and I was bored. It was a good service, holy, and all that. But when my friend started his sermon with a joke, no one laughed but me and my friend. It was strange how boring it was to sit, stand, sing and pray for an hour and a half with a group of people who never smile. Give me my raucous group of poor worshippers in the mountain any day.
Really enjoyed your post Julie. And I have to say that I agree with you completely.
To Macks remarks: Children's sermons are important for many reasons. Not only does it give the children within the church a chance to take ownership in worship but it also gives the chance for the adults the recieve a message as well. It has been proven that we are more apt to listen to a sermon, message, or lecture when it is not directed towards us. If we go hear something that is directed to a population that we don't fit it, we tend to hear the message more clearly because we don't feel like we are being attacked, judged or criticized. If we were all honest with ourselves, we would agree that we listen more intently to what is being said in the Children's sermon than the "Adult sermon." The ideas are simple and tangible and will stay with us just like the stay with the children. Children's time does matter!
I wrote a similar blog a few weeks ago. Enjoy.
http://hklee124.tumblr.com/post/660660432/hide-and-go-seek-with-god
Julie: re: Your comment to Mack -"So I am going to just say that I utterly disagree that God was not the one who gave us the capability for pleasure…"
I don't think that that was what Mack was saying. He wrote: "God did not create us to experience “pleasure” or “joy” in the abstract, or as understood by a culture that knows more about Spring Break than Saint Paul, but rather the pleasure of knowing him and the joy of serving him. "
He's not saying God did not create us for pleasure. He is saying that the pleasure he created us for has a purpose and is not abstract or purpose-less.
The idea that God created us for pleasure that is purposeful is quite orthodox to Christian thought. I think that the Westminster Catechism, as an example, powerfully affirms the role of joy and pleasure: "What is the chief purpose of humans? A: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
My thought is that we need to have balance. Fun without purpose in a church service can become a gimmick. A church without any fun at all robs us of an important part of having a relationship with a God who is Incarnational.
Found your blog through Church Mouse and am interested in your intelligent take on life. But especially, I love your idea of the sacred in fun. I hesitated to leave a comment after the erudite comments above, but as a parent and a minister (retired now) I always found that God was in the midst of us as we relaxed with one another and simply enjoyed each other. After all God enjoys the praises of his people, and surely that means that he also enjoys us. Every Blessing in the important work and writing you do.
I enjoy the children's time at my Presbyterian church. There is something fun for the kids at the beginning–and interaction among the kids and the leader–then the connection is made to the beginning activity to the theological message-the same message to be made to the rest of us but in language the children can understand.
I think fun is great for church. I also think that activitites like roller skating and rodeos (a big church in Nashville had a rodeo in church for July 4) don't belong in the sactuary. Hold them in the gym, the grounds, the activity center, the parking lot–maybe even in lieu of "regular" services sometimes, but not in the santuary. Keep this place apart for the decorum and solemnity that some activites need, i.e. communion, weddings, christenings, confirmations, funerals/memorial services, etc. Individual, personal introspective reflection is needed for enlightenment to occur.
Greetings! I'm interested in this topic a great deal. I've read through all the posts and heard great ideas, so I wanted to add my impression.
First, I know Scripture tells us that we are to "become like children", but I wonder if we are taking this out of context. In fact, I don't see the relationship at all between "becoming like a child" and having fun in church. Look at the verses for yourselves:
Mat 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
Mat 18:2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
Mat 18:3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (ESV)
Jesus uses the illustration of a child to communicate a gospel truth: those who are the humble and dependent upon God are the greatest in the kingdom. I believe this is what the author intended to communicate. This truth no doubt clashed with the early ambitions of His disciples who were pursuing rank, position, and greatness in Christ's kingdom.
How I apply this truth is not looking to my own merits or ability to earn a place in God's kingdom, but by submitting to Christ's Lordship and growing in dependence upon Him. I don't need to earn a spot or pursue some postion of greatness. In fact, there is only one is who is great in the kingdom and His name is Jesus. Christ is sufficient and exceedingly great, and that greatness is demonstrated in us who believe through an ever-increasing dependence upon Christ.
So again, I don't see how this verse has anything to do with "having fun in church" without stretching it's meaning and implications.
But to answer the initial question, "can we have fun in church?", perhaps we should start by defining the term "fun" so we can understand what we mean. I won't bore you with definitions, but common sense tells me that "fun" can be used in both an objective and subjective way. For instance, going bowling can be a fun activity – meaning it's purpose is for sheer amusement and recreation. This is a more objective use of the word. But let's say someone tries bowling, but they don't enjoy their experience and conclude that bowling wasn't fun at all. This person has made "fun" a subjective reality. So who is right? Can bowling as an activity be fun and not fun at the same time? I say, yes, depending on your perspective.
Now, let's ask the question again, "Can we have fun in church?" Well, is there any doubt that the purpose of our worship services is to honor God and edify the saints through spiritual means? If this true, then objectively we cannot compare a worship service to a bowling function. They have two distinct purposes. The purpose of our worship gatherings is not to have fun. But, can we absolutely enjoy ourselves and have fun while honoring God and edifying the saints at church.
The point is this: we should not put the cart before the horse. Our worship meetings are not places of recreation and amusement, and if they are, you can be sure they are not places where God is worshiped and the saints are edified through spiritual means. We do not worship fun-god, but the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who is altogether fun, enjoyable, and filled with delight. Similiarly, it is not our job to MAKE God fun or make him appear boring, as to hide his fun-loving nature. God IS fun, meaning He is altogether enjoyable and filled with wonder and amusement – it's who He is.
So church should be fun, not because it's activities are fun, but because we find our delight in the God we serve and He's at the center of our activities.
For me, prayer and studying scripture is fun, meaning I enjoy them as activities and previledges. But I do not study scripture and pray for amusement and enjoyement. That's backwards. Unfortunatly, much of modern church today has turned a blind eye to these subtle differences and turned a good thing like "fun" into a idol. I can say much of the same thing about those who pursue a false reverence and holiness.
Even after typing all of this I am humbled at how prone I am to wander. I'm so convinced that God wants us to enjoy Him in light of what He has created. But sometimes I put enjoyment of the things He's created before enjoyment and satisfaction that comes from knowing Him and being known by Him. There is a difference, and my prayer is that when confronted with those differences, God will grant me such grace to want Him above all things enjoyable.
Thanks for your post Julie. I think we all need to avoid "straw man" arguments; because one person says "it's dangerous for kids to run around this street", the logical response is never, "so would you rather they were locked up all day?" We can all be guilty of using this faulty line of reason at times and often revert to it most when emotive subjects arise.
With that in mind, I would only like to offer a few tentative comments:
Worship, I agree with Mack, should be about and for Jesus. The closest analogy in the offerings is the Burnt Offering, which was totally consumed by God without there being ANY part of it for the priest. And as for God wanting our personalities to shine through because we were made in His image, I think some of us would benefit from a gentle reminder that such an image was actually marred at the fall!
In short, and to paraphrase Vance vavner, some people come to church for "recreation" when what they should be looking for is RE-creation.
Hey Everyone.
I am a 15 year old girl who is very much in love with God despite having few role models or examples.
My strict parents roll me out of bed every Sunday morning with lots of threats and I'm forced into uncomfortable clothes to sit on a hard uncomfortable pew for two hours and listen to sermons that I've heard a million times before and go for way too long about way too little.
For the entirety of church, I'm sitting there praying as hard as I can that church will be over soon and that something fun will happen.
Having grown up with missionaries for parents, you'd think I'd enjoy church… but it's actually physically impossible for it to be fun! Its too hard to have fun at church!
I've taken to going on blogs and watching interesting sermons on youtube because going to Church is the second most boring thing in my entire week (the first being my math class).
I've tried taking notes, counting bible pages, drawing, everything…. i just can't stand church.
I've been to so many churches I can't count them all, and the only time I ever enjoyed myself was when some people carried out a skit from the bible (Abraham I think) complete with a ton of ketchup for blood.
Does ANYONE have fun in their church?? Any ideas?? Help!!!