Why We Don't Do Cantatas

Today at lunch someone asked me if we had a Christmas cantata this Sunday. When I told him 'no' - he almost seemed surprised. Let me explain our philosophy of holiday Sundays.

This Sunday at North will feel much like a "normal" Sunday at North. There will be some "extras" - but not too many. We want this Sunday to feel very similar to every other Sunday at North.  Here are the reasons:

• We don't want someone to get invited to a special Sunday, be impressed, then come the next week and have it be TOTALLY different. It would feel like a "bait and switch."
• We think however you "win" people is how you best "keep" people.  If someone is attracted to God and His Gospel through our "normal" preaching and singing - then they will most likely stay around when the holiday is over.  But if someone is attracted to God and His Gospel through church softball, large outreach events, or cantatas - they rarely "stick" when it comes to long-term discipleship. We want to "win" people in the same way that we "keep" people. 
• Most church cantatas I've seen only impress "insiders." Especially on Sundays where more visitors will likely attend, we want to be sure that we are thinking about how "outsiders" may hear and see something (1 Corinthians 14:23 seems to indicate we should at least consider this). We have a culture with Hollywood expectations showing up in a church that often is as easily pleased as parents attending their elementary child's piano recital. It's only parents that love piano recitals. And it is only insiders who love cantatas.

So - this Sunday... I've approached my sermon prep just like every other week.  The goal is the same. The target is the same. It will be very similar to any other Sunday at North --- with a couple of bonuses (I'll let you surprised). My favorite "bonus" is a video of many of children at church answering the question, "What do you hope to get for Christmas?"  It is REALLY cute.

For North "insiders" - I hope this encourages you to invite even more people. And I hope it explains why we choose to not do Easter or Christmas plays or cantatas. We don't think they best serve our purpose.

Comments

[Jean B]

If this Sunday is going to be like any other Sunday at North, it's going to be great!