"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
-Hebrews 13:8
Ideally, each step in the life of a Christian will reflect transformation as we strive to become more like God. And yet, one sees as they peer into a church stagnation above all else. Though churches all profess different beliefs about the minutiae of the Bible, no matter where you visit you can expect largely the same format. At its basics the service commences with worship, progresses to a sermon, and ends with more worship and perhaps a "time of response". And thus, it seems to me that we have reduced God to a formula as we weekly attend church services to experience the same exact thing. The teaching may differ as will the songs, but the formula stands firm.
This perceptibly damages Christianity as a whole. For one thing, everyone experiences God differently. What if one person dislikes singing? Or another finds sermons so boring that they lose focus a few minutes into them? And what if the reflection on what goes wrong in our lives - which "response" thrives on - pulls some of us down into deeper melancholy and obsessive thoughts? Are these people left out in the dark to not find God? Ignoring the fact that such a format or service never appears in the Bible that we facilely live our lives by, the question remains of what will happen to these people. In this way it is a disservice to the family of God to confine Him to this format.
I say the institutional church must fall because in its destruction we can reform it into something more than it ever was. If we are content to go through the motions in the same format each week, we will not experience God to His fullest. We must challenge the structures around us and invent more complete methods of living out our lives as God desires.
And so, of course, there must exist some method to fix this problem. It probably looks different for everyone. However, the basics of this aforementioned formula do present us with good opportunity for growth. Perhaps one week the service may consist solely of praise and worship. Even if one dislikes singing, this will challenge them to engage in a different way, and they can spend the time praying at the very least. Maybe another week would consist of a short talk followed by small group discussions, engaging the community as a whole and allowing us to learn from each other while also giving a platform to talented teachers. Perhaps the next week would then consist of serving the community in some tangible way. Due to the negativity it has brought to my mind for the past couple years, I cannot envision a method to alter a response/reflection time, but likely such a way exists. Regardless, keeping the format of church dynamic will allow us to constantly change and find new ways of experiencing God. Finally, whatever it looks like, our weekly church service must not be the pinnacle of our week. Let us actively pursue God each day of the week, not only on Sundays, transforming our faith into miraculous works for His glory. He may never change, but we must if we desire to be like Him.