So skill equals joy?

Does that mean since I cant cary a toon in a bucket, I should not sing?

:stirpot

Ah, er, have you heard me sing?

Heh, heh!:tease

Nor have you any joy. :bubble

Db levels are a big problem in a lot of churches and especially at campmeetings... I can't even understand what's being said because the speakers are distorting so bad. When the noise dies down, the shouting stops... I'm not sure it's all spirit...

I have often wondered who are we trying to please God or man. It seems like sometimes a song service is a performance andwe are trying to please each other in worship
Does God think any less of the church that cant afford all the sound equipment. It just has started to seem that it is more for the purpose of entertainment than anything else

lol

Oh brother, I agree whole heartedly!!! The church I left, had LOUD music/preaching from the beginning. When we moved here, I had a 4 month old, and though I saw no need for someone besides me to care for him, I put him in the nursery because I was afraid of the sound system damaging his hearing. A year or so later, the sound system "blew" and they got a new one, that was even louder. A couple years ago, *that* one blew and they got ANOTHER one even LOUDER! I developed very severe tinnitus, and began wearing ear plugs to church, and had my whole family wear them. Others had started wearing them too. A lot of people complained about the loud volume, but no one did anything, because the pastor was going deaf, and if he couldn't hear himself while he preached, he had it cranked even more. I had to start sitting towards the back of the church (ooo I was backslid! :tease) just to get as far away from the speakers as possible.

And let's not forget how we needed to crank it up *extra* loud when a visiting minister/evangelist/choir/etc came, to "get the congregation going" and make it look good!

As far as it running off visitors....yes. I know one family whose daughter had started coming to church with us, and the parents were so thrilled with the "improvement" in their daughter that the rest of the family decided to come. One service. The mother sat there plugging her ears the whole time, nearly in tears from pain, and ended up leaving early because she couldn't take it. Her daughter never came again. This was a family that I know desperately needed God and were HUNGRY!

BTW, I love the photo of you and mamabear :nutso

We attended a church where it was necessary to wear earplugs. It is frustrating that so many churches think loud=anointed.

The church we attend now has the volume at a reasonable level and I think if it were a problem, they would actually listen to someone and turn it down.

:blissSomeone said "If you think it is too loud you are too old.":bliss