It’s good to see an outsider’s view from David Whyte (NZ Baptist, July). Yes, the way we do the Sunday morning gathering does not suit those who recoil from much talking and singing. For 14 years I was deaf and church services were a strange experience.

But we do not need to focus on the Sunday morning slot. “Church” is about being a community of people who belong to God and to each other. Targeting the two-hour event makes it like an attraction we can choose to attend or not, putting ourselves at centre. Instead it should be the natural meeting of God’s family, the people we do life with through good times and bad, whether it suits us personally or not.

Yes, we do need more visual, sensory and movement experiences in our times together. But let’s keep in mind that the weekly “service” is our time to turn toward God together and to recharge for living out his kingdom during the week. Outside the “church service” we find our true worship and service of God (James 1:27).

– Gilbert Hadfield
Wainuiomata

David Whyte replies: Gilbert, thank you for your comments. You have articulated well the undergirding philosophy of some churches today. We should be careful that the way of doing church doesn’t become sacred. God made us with five senses. Surely we should be worshiping him with all five? From an educational point of view, sitting and listening to teaching is a terrible way of (a) learning and (b) changing lives. We can thank the Greeks and Romans, not Christ, for this ideology. God blessed people with a vast range of learning styles (talk to your local home schooler or innovative teacher), yet he wants us to cater to just one, the auditory learner? These are challenging questions and ones we need to wrestle with to maximise the impact we can have on our culture.