Yes another conversation about church, another question about it. It just seems that there are sooo many flaws in churches. I know we need to go, I know what the bible says about it, about worshiping together, and coming together, I recognize the importance, and I feel that is where my frustration lies.
I did not grow up going to church. I went a few times on holidays with my grandparents, but I never experienced church, and church family until I married my husband. I know it exists. I know that a group of imperfect people can meet together as the body of Christ, and be the body of Christ. I know that they treat each other as family, and still do to us living far away from them. I know the pastor lived out what he preached, and was a great husband, dad, son, and friend. He was easy to respect and to learn from. I know it’s possible, but why is it so hard to find again?
We have gone to a few different churches since moving away from our home church, and have not found that closeness, nor realness.
The first church we went to was huge, and I made friends there through the mothers bible study I was doing. We were there for a year, and they took away the mothers study, and limited child care so most of us stopped going to that, then most moved to different churches. We never met the pastor personally, but did think he taught well. Church was entertaining, and the kids had plenty to do, but it felt lacking. Many Sundays I sat completely alone.
The second church, was a church plant. That fell apart quickly as the true character of the pastor was revealed. Couple by couple people are leaving that church, and I don’t believe it will last long unless some major humbling happens, and priorities get shifted.
All that to say, I am scared of church now. I am leery that there isn’t a place for the people that don’t easily look and act the part of a nice “churchy” person. I don’t feel like you can be very real in most churches, and I think that is because people don’t take the aspect of church family seriously. Sometimes people have things going on in their lives that require comfort, encouragement, praise, congratulations from other believers, and most don’t seem to want to hear that on Sunday mornings. They want the response to “How are you?” to be “Fine, thank you.” so they can move onto the sermon, and get out of there. The problem is, is that if you aren’t sharing aspects of your life with those that are close to you, then you don’t grow in relationship with them, and you aren’t recieving what God intended for you to recieve. You can’t be comforted, encouraged, congratulated by God if you aren’t allowing anyone into that portion of your life, and you can’t be the hands and feet of God if you have no idea what is going on in others lives.
That is my rant…..
What are your church experiences? (some encouragement please…)
