So what's the deal with church? Why are yawns more common than Amens? Why is easy believeism practically becoming its own denomination? Why are the churches with the biggest bands and most up beat music and entertaining programs the churches with the greatest attendance? Is it the fault of the pastors? the people? the culture? I believe, yes, in different degrees in different circumstances. Here is a commonly overlooked initiator (common because I've never heard it as a reason before, so common to me): Noise. Noise is a business term that describes anything that interferes with effective communication. In many fundamental churches, the truth is preached(properly is a different issue), but the people are not phased. One aspect of this noise is daily information overload. Most people in our congregations are involved with business on a daily basis in one form or another. Information is thrown at us from every direction constantly. No longer is work highly physical labor, but rather mental. We get information in every internet page we visit. We get it in every meeting, email, letter, business document, conversation, newspaper article, and radio broadcast. Also, on the way home information is given through music, signs, dashboards, construction zone. At home it is given through answering machines, grocery lists, children, husband/wife, etc. The world is busy. The world is full of easily accessible and forced information. So it's no wonder our minds turn off when we go to church. The church also throws information at us constantly, even before the sermon. By the time the service gets to something that matters, noone cares anymore. The pleasant church surroundings and cushioned pews provide a nice atmosphere in which to zone out. The church member hears enough information to parrot when the time comes to act spiritual, but the rest of the week is spent in the "real world," as it has been made to be known. Little of the reality of Christ is known. The constant intake of information that doesn't need to be taken to heart trains a person to hear the Word and accept it only mentally. The heart is not trained to respond. Therefore, the people cannot understand a vibrant relationship with Christ. Therefore, they die, or remain in their death. So when will the church decide to cut out the unecessary noise and get to what matters? 3 services on Sunday, and one midweek, all complete with announcements the people already read in the bulletin, 400 verses from the hymnal that noone cares to understand, special music that rarely raises an eyebrow, 4 prayers that noone really means, a sermon that the people are too tired to listen to by then, an invitation that is more honestly a nap time, another clincher hymn, and then dismissal, which the people actually look forward to. Why do we tire the people out for the sermon? They're already tired of receiving information by the time they get there. "Prepare their hearts" - how do you prepare a dormant heart? Do we get bigger upbeat music? No, that just covers and excuses the problem at hand. So do most contemporary tactics. I say, according to the character of the church, start with cutting down the unneccessary noise. Who cares if that's how we've always done it. The sermon has just becomes another addition to the service. It is not longer the desire of the people. It is a "have to, cuz that's what we do." More later concerning church.