Going to Church

[elijah23]

Perhaps many of us have had unpleasant experiences at church, but I think the benefits of being active in a church far outweigh the unpleasantness.

For instance, I have had great fellowship and support in my church. My brother moved away in 1987 and my nearest family member was nearly 2000 miles away. What would I have done without my church?

Any good church, I would think, offers opportunities to serve. I find that when I am in service, I feel much better about myself than when I am not.

Does anyone have any opinions on the subject?

 

[Timf]

I have had great fellowship and support in my church......I feel much better about myself

Elijah23,

I am not trying to be mean or accusatory. However, I think the two items above point to a problem in today's churches. A few decades ago people would get into fistfights over religion or politics. This does not mean that fistfights were laudable, just that people felt that what they believed to be true or right was worth fighting over. Today even the idea of such action seems anachronistic at best. Today it is a hate crime to say something that makes someone feel bad. These two benchmarks delineate a change in our culture. At one time what was right and true was the most important thing. Today what feels good is the most important thing.

According to the Bible, Christian leaders are responsible for "equipping the saints" for the work of the ministry. It is expected that Christians mature and grow into the image of Christ. By this standard, it is difficult to think of a single church that is not a complete failure.

People can have problems at church. However, if you subtract out personalities from the equation and even if you subtract out the tidal wave of worldliness the sweeps through most churches, you are left with some fundamental structural problems that hinder real Christianity.

1. The seminary system reinforces the "priestly" class, locks graduates into "brand loyalty", locks in the classroom as the method of instruction, and perpetuates the criteria method of salvation.

2. Churches mostly run as collective systems of events, classes, programs, and activities. It is the mechanical nature of collectivized systems that tend to quash the relationships where real Christianity can flourish.

These problems are nothing new. As early as the first century catechetical schools were being established with gifted orators to conform Christianity along the lines of Greek rhetoric and philosophy. Even earlier Galatia was going in the direction of formulistic Christianity. The letter to the seven churches also outline how easily we get turned aside from Jesus.

I can understand a passionate, angry, or even tearful defense of a beloved church and fellowship of believers. However, there should also be room for truth. In the final analysis if you are not becoming like Jesus, your church is failing you. If you defend settling for anything less that Christ-likeness, you are failing others.

 

[Tina]

.

I am not trying to be mean or accusatory. However, I think the two items above point to a problem in today's churches. A few decades ago people would get into fistfights over religion or politics. This does not mean that fistfights were laudable, just that people felt that what they believed to be true or right was worth fighting over. Today even the idea of such action seems anachronistic at best. Today it is a hate crime to say something that makes someone feel bad. These two benchmarks delineate a change in our culture. At one time what was right and true was the most important thing. Today what feels good is the most important thing.

I wonder where you're going with this .... but bear in mind that many initially come to church feeling lost, broken, wounded, lonely and helpless. Without fellowship and support of the church, would they be any better ?

According to the Bible, Christian leaders are responsible for "equipping the saints" for the work of the ministry. It is expected that Christians mature and grow into the image of Christ. By this standard, it is difficult to think of a single church that is not a complete failure.

Again I resent this sweeping statement .... Complete failure ??? ...

Yes no church is perfect, but to conclude that there isn't a single church that is not a complete failure is an insult to Christ, as if His Holy Spirit is completely absent today !

 

[jasoncran]

the home church as well is failing.no church isnt without faults. the problem today is this in a nutshell , easy believism. just pray and its done,no teaching the that the new christian should read the bible. and be a good berean.

 

[elijah23]

Elijah23,

I am not trying to be mean or accusatory. However ...

It seems to me the primary purpose of church is to pay the Lord the respect he deserves.

However, the support we hopefully get from our church is a great blessing.

Also, one has to be of service to others to be a happy person, I believe. A good church will provide opportunities to do that.

 

[lamplady]

I like Churches.

Remember though that a Church is just a body of people and just as whenever you get a group of people gathering for anything you are going to get say some strong minded people and those who are meek.

I've already got a problem with the one I just joined - they don't seem to mention Jesus enough times for me - I'm comparing it to one I use to go to a long time ago and every other sentence included his name lol but that is just the way I like it. But I'm no hurry to leave beacuse at the end of the day it seems as though we all want to serve and worship God and as long as that is the motive no one really should have any trouble with their own church.