This has landed in my inbox from Brian Donaldson, and Neil has also posted it. But for completeness, here it is on this blog.
I found myself cringing, as I recognised how excruciating is can be for people who are not used to church culture, arriving in something that anyone who has been around church for more than a few years gets immune to!
I had an interesting experience, going to a 4 day coaching events for the business world, which is not a world I have any real experience of at all. There were about 15 of us in total, including some very high flyers from some very well known and large businesses and multinationals. As they described their work and world, they might as well have been talking Greek as far as I was concerned – I just didn’t understand the language. When they explained what they meant, I actually understood what they were talking about, but is very easy to feel that you are not part of the "in crowd" or to feel a bit stupid because you don’t understand what everyone else seems to. I wonder how often people feel like that when the come to church (any church, whatever your tradition!) for the first time?
I was invited to another such course, in a couple of weeks time. I felt that familiar tingle of anxiety, as I thought about being in such an unfamiliar environment. Maybe that is a regular feeling for people as they wake up on a Sunday morning and contemplate entering our unfamiliar environment of church?
What do you think? What was your reaction on watching this video?
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this is pretty funny, scary, and thought provoking…
yikes. well done those guys for bringing in some home truths…
I put this on my blog too.
Having said that turning the tables, as much as I love Starbucks when I go in I’m so glad I can’t drink coffee. It’s so confusing. they have all this technical starbucks language – like the small drink is called tall or grande or something (this remains a source of confusion for me) never mind all the whip, frappe, skinny stuff…
The thing that made me laugh is them trying to get through the door it was like a reenactment of when I was searching for a church to call ‘home’ in Edinburgh and I couldn’t get the glass door open, no one was there to welcome me because they were all busy chatting to each other. Eventually another person came along and they managed to open the door. I felt so stupid and awkward.
I also remember the embarrassment of my friend announcing that I’d become a Christian from the front of church (I was a first time visitor) and everyone applauding. I wanted to be swallowed up in the floor. Thankfully I did stick around long enough to find out the people were really welcoming and friendly, inclusive and I grew to love them all dearly!!