Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Girly-Jesus, the feminized church and absent men

Interesting point:

I wrote a long time ago that the churches have turned Jesus into a metrosexual.

Now the United Methodist News Service asks, “Are churches ‘too feminized’ for men?

Author David Murrow says a typical guy feels as comfortable in church as Tom Sawyer in Aunt Polly’s parlor.

“He must watch his language, mind his manners and be extra polite,” Murrow writes in his popular 2005 book, Why Men Hate Going to Church. That’s because the altar flowers and felt banners, mostly female Sunday school teachers and blue-haired ladies playing the organ, all make church feel like a “woman’s thing.” And unless a man enjoys serving on a committee or passing out bulletins, he may feel there’s not much for him to do, so he steers clear.

Today’s contemporary worship services aren’t much better: Their soft praise-and-worship songs and emphasis on relational needs are better suited to the needs of women than men, says Murrow… . Read More.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ron,

You sound like a nice, chatty, and engaging sort of guy.

Do you like to talk a lot, as a professional church talker?

Matt H. (lucygirl505@comcast.net)

Ron Ballew said...

I probably talk way too much, at least my staff think so!

Anonymous said...

Then, apparently you are a professional church talker, and apparently you need your "staff," whoever they are, to help you assess your own verbation.

Do you observe Proverbs 10:19,

"In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin, but he that refraineth his lips is wise?"

Let us see if you are able to answer directly, or if you dodge the question, like most professional church talkers compulsively do.

Matt H.

Ron Ballew said...

Are you referring to some sort of an ontological aspect of "verbiage" or just talking in general?

As to do I like to talk alot, in some ways yes. When I was teaching at university I had to lecture 3-4 hours a day. I enjoyed it. Now as a pastor I only speak 3 hours a week. If you mean church talker as preaching or teaching. Naturally I am an introvert though I do enjoy speaking it did not come easy.

Proverbs 10:23
23 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word!