Answers:

1. All we have known is the clergy/laity system.
2. We don’t like the idea of any other way of doing church.
3. So we ignore the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.
4. Martin Luther set up the focus on one man talking, by replacing the altar with the pulpit and making a sermon the focus of a church service.
5. Luther had a practical reason. Very few people knew how to read in the 16th century and the pastor/priest/parson was usually the most educated person in town.
6. Now we’ve had 500 years of one man doing (almost) all the talking in church.
7. So the religious tradition is super strong.
8. And therefore we ignore the 50+ one another commands in the New Testament.
9. And we also ignore 1 Corinthians 14:26 that says that when we come together everybody present has something to share.
10. We are afraid of change and want to keep things the same.
11. We have become addicted to church programs and sermons.
12. We want to keep church services under human control.
13. We don’t trust the Holy Spirit to use ordinary people.
14. We want to be passive, unaccountable, and unchallenged in church.
15. We fear the intimacy, honesty, and openness of group interaction.
16. We ignore the fact that church attendance is dropping because people today want interaction and participation and our Sunday services don’t allow it.
17. We haven’t read the book, Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible–Ekklesia, which is available at this link.

If you are willing to go beyond these 17 road blocks, come and experience participatory, interactive worship at The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St. 37207, where everyday people take turns showing and telling what God has done. We meet at 10:45 am.