This is something that I personally find to be a disturbing 'trend.'
I find it done in various churches round about, some more than others.
Everybody always talks about, testifies about, sings about, and preaches about wanting to see souls saved, people deepen their walk with God, Zion to travail, saints and sinners alike to seek the face of Almighty God. Preachers preach for a response of people flooding the altars when they give an altar call. They stress the importance of prayer, of praying until God moves, of getting what you need from the Lord.
And then what...A few minutes pass. Most people are back up and back to their seats. And a few people are still praying.
So rather than anybody join in and pray with the few that appear to be willing to do more than "lay me down to sleep...," the music is cut, somebody gets up and makes some announcements, and dismisses the service, often making a statement that those that are praying can continue to pray, etc.
That gets on my nerves.
Everybody has a different feeling/opinion and so on, and different people would be affected in different ways by that... But I find that cutting the service off basically kills it for people that are actually trying to pray. Rather than be willing to keep praying, they feel like they should quit. Especially for someone that's seeking the Holy Ghost or someone that's not been to an altar of prayer before, how are they supposed to feel after all this preaching has gone on that prayer is so important and they need to seek God, and then when they're trying to, the service is dismissed out from under them and everybody begins to mingle and talk and laugh?
Sure, I understand that people have to go home and get to bed and get up for work......after they talk for a half hour in the sanctuary and an hour and a half at the restaurant of course.
If somebody needs to go, the doors are usually not locked and if they are done praying, they should be welcome to leave. But I think if people really mean what they say, they should get down to business instead of preaching about the Sweet Hour of Prayer then only allowing enough time for a microwave blessing.
People are weird, and that's just something that gets on my nerves.
__________________
If you sometimes get the sudden urge to run around naked, drink some Windex.
It will keep you from streaking.
I'm not convinced the "Altar Call" tradition is a sacred one.
I am opposed to pressuring anyone to "come forward".
Having a place for those who desire to enter into extended prayer does seem appropriate.
IMO It would be better if visitors were not required to sit through lenthy travails and impromptu shockamoo.
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
I'm not convinced the "Altar Call" tradition is a sacred one.
I am opposed to pressuring anyone to "come forward".
Having a place for those who desire to enter into extended prayer does seem appropriate.
IMO It would be better if visitors were not required to sit through lenthy travails and impromptu shockamoo.
The point is not in defense of "altar calls" or "come forward" pleas in an of themselves. The point is to point out the inconsistancy that is displayed by people saying one thing and doing another. People's words say they want one thing, but their actions say another.
And the issue of making people that are actually trying to pray feel uncomfortable and cutting them off.
If people want to leave, they can leave. If somebody is concerned about visitors having to sit through something then somebody should have the job of going to greet them at their seat and letting them know that "it's all over but the shoutin'" and they're welcome to go or stay, in whatever tactful manner somebody with this burden thinks it should be done.
__________________
If you sometimes get the sudden urge to run around naked, drink some Windex.
It will keep you from streaking.
The point is not in defense of "altar calls" or "come forward" pleas in an of themselves. The point is to point out the inconsistancy that is displayed by people saying one thing and doing another. People's words say they want one thing, but their actions say another.
And the issue of making people that are actually trying to pray feel uncomfortable and cutting them off.
If people want to leave, they can leave. If somebody is concerned about visitors having to sit through something then somebody should have the job of going to greet them at their seat and letting them know that "it's all over but the shoutin'" and they're welcome to go or stay, in whatever tactful manner somebody with this burden thinks it should be done.
Chseeads,
I know exactly what you are talking about. I have felt so sorry for people that go down to pray and no one will go with them or even if there is one person..... the show must go on and I'm sure it hinders their prayer.
If that person felt led enough to go down and seek God, then I believe they need to feel comfortable enough to do just that.
If the service needs to proceed maybe having an "altar worker" assigned would be a good idea and they could take that person to the prayer room to continue praying with them.
__________________
Master of Science in Applied Disgruntled Religious Theorist Wrangling
PhD in Petulant Tantrum Quelling
Dean of the School of Hard Knocks
Linear Mode
