Announcements about social events, greetings, anniversaries, birthdays and engagements are sandwiched in between prayers. Applause, special music, standing and facing one another, giving signs of peace, shaking hands and kissing are part of the service. I would like to see churches get back to religion, meditation and prayer. Entertainment and social life are out of place in the Lord's house. These complaints are not necessarily typical.
Some people are more concerned about how long worship lasts than what happens while they are there.
Certainly those who worship only on Christmas and Easter are banking pretty heavily on God commun-icating to them according to their own busy schedules. The fact is that messages from the divine come as much on ordinary days as they do on special holy days - and they may or may not be received in a sanctuary. The second point I want to lift up this morning is that God has a loving purpose in what happens. God's purpose involves justice and peace for all. This was the concern of P.L. Schwert, R.C. McIntyre, Laurence Brown, and P.J. Heimburg, members of this congregation at the turn of the century.