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[iMonk's] rant on ordination
...I think a lot of this problem with the traditional worship service- whether from the pomo crowd or the informed, assertive layman- comes from problems with the current role of the pastor in traditional churches. I almost said "resentment," but that may be slightly too strong, but not by much. IOW, I think this comes down, in large part, to how we feel about ordination, and then, what we've allowed to happen in churches as a result of this.

My theory is two-fold: Ordination has turned a lot of pastors into jerks, and a lot of lay-people into patsies. Churches are now too pastor centered, pastors are concerned with perpetuating their own careers, church success is wrapped up in pastor success, and like the Puritans who wanted to behead Charles II as the first step to good government, we have a lot of solid Christian laypeople who have had it with pastors and what churches have turned into under them.

Everyone defensive? OK. Good....