I have a hard time going to church. And, I'm not afraid to say it, it's mostly because of the people. The more you go to church, the more you get involved, the more people want you to do things, the more you go to church, the more people see you, the more you go to church, the more people begin to find fault with you and before you know it it's a vicious cycle of...*insert whine* "I don't want to go to church today, they'll just make me [fill in the blank] when all I want to do is listen to the sermon and leave." Which having been raised right, I know is the wrong thing to think, but I can't help thinking it. It seems to me that churches now-a-days seem to be more concerned with the numbers (what big CRAZY thing can we do this week to get people to come?) that they've forgotten about the people who are already there. The people who bust their humps 5 days a week at a job they may or maynot love and then are being told that if they don't bust their humps at church they aren't fulfilling the destiny that God has designed for them. I feel like I am being judged by what I say or do in church everytime I go to church.
When I was in college, I loved, loved, loved, loved going to church. In a college town like Springfield, Missouri there's always a place for the college kid and in college I wasn't jaded nor did I ever feel that every church I went to wanted a piece of me or that they were more concerned with the numbers than my spirtuality or that they were gossiping about how my sins were bigger and more wrong than their sins. Part of this has to do with the fact that the church came to me...we met on Thursday or Sunday nights, going to church Sunday morning there was always a college class with donuts and coffee and guitars. What happened?
Sadly, I believe that part of it is the fact that I 'grew up' and in growing up that spark that is lit by Jesus, Himself, has been covered up by Wordly things and my Wordly attitude. When I don't go to church, I ignore the very reasons why Jesus came to this Earth.
Why are we supposed to go to church?
- 1 John 1:3 says that we are to have fellowship with the Father and with His Son and with other Christians
- 1 Peter 4:10 to share our spiritual gifts with others
- Hebrews 10:25 we must meet together to encourage one another
The New Testament is full of “one another” commands. We are to comfort one another (I Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another (I Thessalonians 5:11), confess our sins to one another (James 5:16), pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more. How can we obey these directives if we stay away from the gathering of believers?
To go to church means that we understand that there is a greater power than our own and that power doesn't exist in the numbers or the sermons or the people, but in the Lord who exist within us. All of us fall short in some fashion...the Lord does not.
Look at what the World has to say about going to church:
Survey: Non-attendees find faith outside church
A commentary on the book So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore
I am playing into this kind of mind-set when I do not attend church and I am not changing the mind-set of the Modern believer sitting on my duff on Sunday watching church on TV or on the internet. I am actually proliferating this horrible stereotype that people have of Christians, I am not doing what the Lord would have me do and I am not helping the Christian church grow.
Instead of complaining about church and not attending I must go to church and work within church to keep God as the main focus...
These are things that I'm still thinking about, I do know one thing, however, although I feel like poop (still sick from yesterday), I'm going to get the family up and we're going to church to set an example that Christians aren't perfect, Christians do question, but Christians always find the answers in God who is perfect.
Do you go to church regulary? What are your reasons for going? For not going?
Do these reasons glorify God?
We were glad to have you, Chris, and the little one at church this week. Not to be recruiting for the numbers at our church :), but coming from the large church that we met at (which shall remain nameless), I know that I have always felt loved and appreciated at White Oak Pond. So where ever you find yourself ending up, I hope that you find a place where you can worship God and enjoy the fellowship of the other believers!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
I was looking through your posts (and have really enjoyed reading your blog, by the way!) and saw this one. This is something I've been having an issue with lately...well, for the past 4 years really. Growing up, I was huge into church; if the doors were open, we were there. I met my husband there and we were both really into it but then it started feeling like all we heard on Sunday was how to tithe and give our time and money back to the church. So, we stopped going. But, I missed feeling close to God. Now, years later, we have went to a really small church the past two Sundays and like it. But, I feel the same way as you about worrying what the people are going to think about me; totally inane worries like,"Are they going to make me stay for the fellowship luncheon? Are they going to try to friend me on Facebook and then judge me by my posts? Will they look at my blog and think the books I read aren't Godly enough?" Anyway, sorry for the extremely long comment, but I just wanted to say that I know exactly where you are coming from and am trying to work on the same thing.
ReplyDeleteJennifer, thanks for the lovely comment, it has made my day. We will see you at church tomorrow. :)
ReplyDeleteSiobian (pronouced shah-von ?), your post has truly made my day as well and like you we have been attending a little church. I am so glad that I am not alone and I am so glad that you are working through it as well. Please keep me posted on your progress, I'm sure that we can help each other, well at least you can help me! :) And, thanks for your compliment on my blog!
That sounds great! I'll just post on here or you can e-mail me if you like! (minishs@csp.edu) I've started doing a women's Bible study on Wednesday nights and that has really helped in my resolve to start back to church. How have you been doing? We missed last Sunday (my husband had to work) but we plan to go this Sunday!
ReplyDelete