Why We Do What We Do

I have been plowing through Timothy L. Smith's Revivalism and Social Reform this summer. (Smith was a great historian, but his writing style is awfully dry.) Smith's book covers the history of American Protestantism in the middle of the nineteenth century. He argues that holiness (perfectionism) was widespread in urban centers of the northeast United States and that ultimately led to social reforms from slavery to child labor to women's issues.

One thing has grabbed me continuously throughout the book. It really has nothing to do with his arguments, although they are fascinating in their own right. (Perhaps I will write more about that later.) It has more to do with the way that church is done.

First, I need to define something. When I used the term "Evangelical Church," I am referring to churches that are Protestant, outreach oriented (in theory), and generally conservative in theology. I would consider them to be broadly in the following groups: Wesleyan-Holiness churches (Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyan, etc.); Pentecostal/Charismatic churches; and most churches in the Baptist family.

There are numerous sacred cows in the Evangelical Community. I wish to focus on three: Sunday school, the altar, and hymns.

In the form most of us would recognize Sunday school has only existed since the 1780s. (I did a research paper on the early history of Sunday school in college. It is a fascinating study.) Despite what we may think, St. Paul did not attend Sunday school. Martin Luther did not attend it. John Wesley heartily endorsed it, however this was quite late in his life.

In most Evangelical churches, the altar is a centerpiece of the sanctuary. What most evangelicals think of as the "altar" has only existed for about two centuries. Originally, it was called the "mourner's bench." It was used primarily as an easy way for the saints to help seekers. In most "high churches" (Episcopal, Catholic, etc.) the altar is what evangelicals call the communion table. St. Paul never prayed at an altar in the way we think of an altar. John Wesley never did. John Wesley never gave an invitation to come and pray at an altar.

The revered hymns of the church were once contemporary songs. Most of the hymns we sing in the church were written over a period from about the mid-18th century to the early 20th century. St. Paul did not sing "Amazing Grace."

What the point? The point is quite simply that the things we hold dear in the Evangelical church are relatively young in scope of Church history. These things--Sunday school, the altar and hymns--were used to communicate the timeless gospel to a certain group of people at a certain point in time. They are not transcendent tools given by God. Now, I am not anti-Sunday school or anti-altar or anti-hymn. We just need to keep things in perspective. These things are only tools. Some tools were better at some times, but not others. (A chainsaw is great for cutting down a tree, but it will not work for engraving a plaque.)