Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Church "services"

holding a "service", ie the 9am "service" the noon "service" “worship service” etc

Let's start with a definition of "service" from Dictionary.com on the web:

11 entries found for service.
tr.v. ser·viced, ser·vic·ing, ser·vic·es To make fit for use; adjust, repair, or maintain: service a car. To provide services to. To make interest payments on (a debt). To copulate with (a female animal). Used of a male animal, especially studs. adj. Of or relating to the armed forces of a country. Intended for use in supplying or serving: a service elevator; the service entrance. Offering repairs or maintenance: a service guarantee; a road service area. Offering services to the public in response to need or demand: a service industry. Idioms: at (someone's) service Ready to help or be of use. be of service To be ready to help or be useful. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin servitium, slavery, from servus, slave.]
Do you see anything in the definition of "service" that should have anything to do with meeting together with our brothers and sisters in Jesus? Do we "service" Jesus like we take our car in for an oil change? Where did this idea of a "sunday service" or “worship service” come from? Now this makes perfect sense if the idea is for the people to show up to some building, and they get "serviced" by some guy standing up above them, pontificates unaccountably for an hour or so, fleeces them for their money, then sends them on their merry way for another week, until they need to be "serviced" again. See, instead of having an ongoing 24/7 relationship with Jesus, churchianity has the wonderful idea of a "services" for the herd to drive in, be "serviced" like a car at jiffy lube, then be sent on their way a little lighter in the wallet till next week without obtaining anything spiritually meaningful. Would anyone call a meeting with their human father a “service”? What a complete adulteration. Give that one some thought.

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