Nation-wide flash mob priase? Anyone down for it?

[Jaltus-bot]

So... Would do it?

If we can get enough people, and ask other friends to get involved, pick a day, and have everyone practice a song to sing with a few friends and then perform at a mall or grocery store or park or something. Has to be a song about God or Jesus somehow.

Would you do it?

It would be like this, but cooler and in our local language. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt7cl6u4DjA&feature=player_embedded

[broly146]

That sounds like fun

[Jaltus-bot]

I have this going other places online as well. I will keep you updated. In the mean time, get your praise on!

[TheMewster]

Man wish I could do this. And we slip Gospel tracts in peoples carts or baskets and give a speech on how wonderful the Christian life is to make it a real witnessing opportunity! Great idea! God bless!

[Warrior4Christ]

It would be like this, but cooler and in our local language. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt7cl6u4DjA&feature=player_embedded

Hey, that's just like the Hallelujah chorus that was on Youtube (I think it was in Canada)!
Yeah, found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

A guy I know went around the city with some church people doing random things - they borrowed a guitar of a busker in the mall and broke out singing "Jesus Freak" - it was on a video from like 2004. XD

[Nate]

Since I have a feeling most people here would be upset or annoyed if a bunch of atheists went to grocery stores and malls and started singing songs about how God doesn't exist and Christianity is a lie, I don't think I'd participate in this.

EDIT: Not to belittle anyone who would do this, of course. If you want to feel free. But since I feel there's a bit of a double standard in society, I couldn't in good conscience participate.

[Atria35]

^ Seconding what Nate says.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I wouldn't do it, but more power to you guys who want to. I would be fun to see.

[TheMewster]

That's a good point Nate. Besides I wouldn't get off the bed to do I anyway.

[ChristianKitsune]

^^; I'm afraid I wouldn't do it... I think it's a little silly to be honest but hey, if they want to worship God that way all power to them

[Mister]

i would totally do it! alot of people i know would do it too!

who cares what others think? lift Christ up and he will draw all men unto him.

[steenajack]

Personally, I just thought it was pretty cool and entertaining. I didn't even think it would be offensive until Nate said so. When I watched the Halleluijah one, I thought it was just a choir doing something to entertain the people at the mall, and I thought it was pretty cool and beautiful. I didn't think that it would be taken as shoving "the gospel" down people's throats.
At the same time I'm kinda with the user above me, since I try not to worry about offending people. I mean, I try to be polite, but no matter what you can't please everyone. So, there really isn't muh I can do because no matter what SOMEONE is going to be offended by something I do. I'm not saying to deliberately try to be offensive, I'm just saying that we shouldn't worry about it so much. Be kind, but don't make a fuss over it.
Personally, I would probably do it for entertainment purposes, and not just do Christian songs. Because it does look like something fun to do, and I love to sing. Hm, y'know it'd be fun to do with Christmas Carols. :3!

EDIT: I'm not saying that I wouldn't sing for Christ, I'm just saying that when I do that's kind of something that's personal to me and not something I'd try to shove down people's throats. If I sing for other people, it's to make their day a bit brighter or cheer them up, not to shove my beliefs into their face. Just saying.... ^^;

[Syreth]

Honestly, it depends on the song.

[Atria35]

Personally, I would probably do it for entertainment purposes, and not just do Christian songs. Because it does look like something fun to do, and I love to sing. Hm, y'know it'd be fun to do with Christmas Carols. :3!

That is a novel idea. I think we shall call it 'caroling'! xDD

[USSRGirl]

Some questions to consider...

1.) Are you doing this to get attention and show everyone what an awesome, bold, courageous Christian you are or because you really feel like singing praise songs in the middle of Alberstons will benefit nonbelievers? Are you doing it to be smug and slap-in-the-face to people who will take offense? Is this about me? Am I using Christianity in the same way a teenager wears a Linkin Park shirt to prove he's cool and going against the grade? Is this a me against the world thing?

2.) Is God leading you to do this? Or are you trying to invent something to do FOR God? God does not need your help to get his plan accomplished. Yes, we are called to be witnesses, but I feel this is most often better accomplished by behaving in a Christian-like manner and dialoguing with people who cross our path in daily life and have questions about faith. God may lead people to you to help, talk to, etc. as a part of his plan. When we go out and say "I need to do something so I'll go donate to Haiti" this becomes humanism. This is me doing something because I feel I need to/want to, not God. I created this task and did it, and while there's certainly nothing wrong with that in some contexts it can become very me centered and fake. I feel as if witnessing should be more natural than a stage show.

3.) Is this mode of witnessing going to lead anyone to Christ? Cause I'll tell you right now, even being a Christian, if someone interrupted my macaroni shopping with a praise song and threw a tract in my shopping card I would tell them off. No one likes to be harrassed by silly means or treated like a child. Many people have real questions about Christianity. Representing Christians as uneducated morons and cultists (cause I would swear you were a moonie or a Mormon if you did that to me) is not a very good image. Neither is "life is great with Jesus" when many of us have bills to pay and jobs that are hurting right now. I get your intentions and your point and I hope you would explain more about the kind of "great" you mean not being an "I'm so happy all the time" deal but an inner peace, but even so that annoys people. It is forced, silly, and demeaning. You are not treating nonbelievers like adults with real - valid - questions and are not politely/respectfully wanting to dialogue with them. Nevermind that I don't dig tracts or praise music. I think this needs to be considered.

/goes back into hiding.

[Nate]

I didn't even think it would be offensive until Nate said so.

I didn't mean it would be offensive, exactly, I just meant that some people would be annoyed by it.

Like I said, imagine you're out with your family and buying some groceries for a party, or for dinner. And you come across a group of people loudly singing a song about God not existing.

You might not get offended, and you might not tell them off. But you'd probably find it a bit annoying and be like "I'm just here to get some groceries." And like I said, I'm willing to bet a few people on here would be like "Why do these people have to shove their beliefs in my face? Why can't they just leave me alone and let me live how I want to live?"

And well, non-Christians sometimes think those same things when we do stuff like this. Jesus said we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and part of that means trying our best not to irritate them or be pushy. I'm not saying this is irritating or pushy in and of itself, just that it has the potential to be.

I'm also with Temmy, here. While there's nothing wrong with missionary work (in fact, Jesus does command us to preach the gospel to all nations), I think there's a difference between real missionary work and "Look at me I'm such a great Christian because I'm doing this stuff." Some people (not all, but some) are more interested in doing this kind of stuff not to tell others about God, but to tell others that THEY believe in God, which is completely different. It's less about "Let me tell you about God and how great He is" and more of a "Look at me I believe in God!"

Also tracts may be cute and helpful in some situations, but often times they can over-simplify things (I have yet to see a tract address the "Problem of Evil" which is a famous theological quandary), or can try and push a specific theology rather than genuinely trying to help people know God (in other words, a tract that says something like "You HAVE to believe that communion is only symbolic or else you're a heathen!").

And the worst ones are those jerks that leave tracts that look like dollar bills on the cover as a tip for a waiter at a restaurant or something. There's just no excuse for that.

Getting a bit sidetracked now. But yeah, I'm not saying this is inherently bad or no one should do it. Don't let me discourage you if God is truly calling you to do this! But I do think people should search deep within themselves and ask, does God truly want you to do this? Or do YOU want to do it? And there's nothing wrong with YOU wanting to do it, either. I do things I want to do all the time, and not because God tells me to do them (like play video games and surf the internet). But when I do these things, I don't do it under the impression that I'm doing it because God wants me to.

I just think we need to be careful that we're actually praising God, and not praising ourselves for praising God.

[ShiroiHikari]

I just think we need to be careful that we're actually praising God, and not praising ourselves for praising God.

Word.

[Okami]

And the worst ones are those jerks that leave tracts that look like dollar bills on the cover as a tip for a waiter at a restaurant or something. There's just no excuse for that.

Yeah. We ought to be better tippers because of what Christ has asked of us. I have waiter/waitress friends who get paid low because they "get tips" ...but tips don't always add up the way they ought to. And it can be hard to make ends meet. The person leaving the tip can be paying their bills, and to not tip well is basically screwing the worker over... But as you said, that's getting sidetracked.

I just think we need to be careful that we're actually praising God, and not praising ourselves for praising God.

This.

[mechana2015]

I've never (personally) been keen on people doing super public stuff that isn't... scheduled or planned, since I hate being accosted without warning by people, and I'm unbearably uncomfortable when I attempt to do something similar so that may contribute to my discomfort with the concept in general.

On the waiter side conversation, I've worked in restaurants and from what I've heard and read, Christians/ 'church people' have a reputation for being lousy tippers in general.

[WhiteMage212]

Hmm, the song would have to be a hymn that most people are familiar with and also would help avoid the whole "stuffing Christianity down people's throats". Though it is something that has to be carefully thought out and prayed over. Worshipping God is good, but when doing it out in a public place instead of a church, you have to ask yourself whether or not this is for yourself or for God. I know there is good intentions but preaching the gospel to others should br something that you and God plan out.