I like some things about Desert Springs, as with most Reformed churches. They are deadly serious…read moreabout the Word of God. They have men in leadership, as the Bible directs. They offer classes and take the faith and its practices seriously. I like their plant downtown, Christ Church, a little better than Desert Springs itself. But here's what I don't like (at all) about most Reformed churches, like DSC:
- Music is stiff and stuck in the past, even when it's modern. Lots of it uses KJV language, which is ridiculous and antiquated. Who expresses themself naturally to God that way today??? It's like the only safe modern music is written by Keith & Kristyn Getty. COME ON. I'm in no way advocating for the circus all the other churches put on, but there is plenty of great, Christ-exalting music out there that doesn't use KJV language and which features a more modern style.
- Responsive reading: this was done in churches I grew up in, and I always felt that people were far more focused on staying together as a group than on what they were saying together. It felt so meaningless. It still does. I fail to see the point of it.
- Relatedly, confessions of sin. They seem to do this at every service. I certainly see the point of confessing sin, and there have been times when the congregational confession of sin was more or less on point. However, most of the time, it does not remotely apply to me. Things are stated in it which I simply cannot confess, as they are false. What is the purpose of this? How does this edify the congregation? Frankly, it is a waste of time. Encourage people to confess their sin(s), as this is biblical, but I see no useful purpose in doing so together by reading something pre-written.
- Speaking of pre-written, every time I attend, I am dumbfounded that men who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit read long, scripted prayers they have written out. How can this be? Does no one have the confidence or faith to just pray spontaneously, and let the Lord lead? Maybe write down a few bullets that you want to cover and just pray? But no, you have to write the whole thing out word for word and read it??? This is shocking and sad to me.
- "Now let's stand together to honor the reading of God's Word." Heard that? I can't stand when churches do this, because invariably, there are other times in the services when they read God's Word or quote from it, and no one stands up, nor do they ask you to. So are we dishonoring God's Word those other times when we don't stand up? Of course not! The whole idea is ludicrous. The practice is no different than Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for expecting Him to wash his hands before eating. It is a time-honored (and apparently quite beloved) TRADITION of man. Can we please let it go? Please?
- Expository preaching: Walking line by line through scripture can be good, sure. I've taught that way before. But to do it all the time or the vast majority of the time is a mistake, especially when you have teachers planning out their messages (based on this convenient technique) months in advance. How is the Holy Spirit supposed to minister to the Body of Christ with messages that are timely and sometimes even unexpected when you've programmed the whole thing months in advance? What if God wants to change things up that day and have you teach on something topical instead of the Plan? Nope, can't do it. We've already planned it out. Sorry, Holy Spirit, we have a Plan. Topical preaching is so much more practical for leading a Body and for remaining sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I expect pastors and teachers at a church to pray about what the Lord wants them to share and teach on. Not just in preparation for a topic that was already decided, often months ago. No, I mean pray about WHAT to share about leading up to that day. I don't see how this happens in Reformed churches that do expository preaching. Frankly, this means they will often miss what the Lord wants to do, wants to share, with the Body, since they are stuck in the rut of their expository preaching plan. Church is not supposed to function that way. It is supposed to be Spirit-led.
I'm not even getting into other basic Body life things like everyone being able to share, pray, and prophesy. No large church does that. Their very structure and operation is unbiblical, but that's another story. With modern institutional, "business-styled" churches, you have to check those objections at the door.
I think DSC (like many large, institutional churches that aren't into heretical things) is a pretty good church for a new believer. They can learn in classes and grow. They will hopefully get some decent discipleship and training in reading God's Word for themselves. They will see proper male leadership and gender roles, according to God's design. These things are all huge in the post-Christian, wicked and apostate culture we live in. So for that, DSC gets 3 stars.
