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I believe it is important for followers of Jesus to do things that institutional churches are often quite good at helping members do, like fellowship with believers in study and worship, observe the Lord's supper, refine and encourage one another and come together to do missionary work.
That does not mean, of course, that it's impossible to do those things without a physical church campus. E.g. home churches, etc., since the church is its members, not the building or administrative architecture.
It is my opinion that most or all Christians need fellowship to get the most of their life and to be encouraged and aided in their walk. We live in very individualistic times and I get that, but Jesus wanted believers to help build each other up. We are the body of Christ, corporately (1 Cor 12), and there is tremendous learning and blessing and fulfillment to be found through being a part of a body of believers.
"and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Colossians 3
Anyway, that's my opinion. I hope everyone has a blessed week.
There's a big difference in attending a church you pick and letting the Lord bring you fellowship, which He will do if we submit to Him to do it and it's truly astounding to watch Him do it.
I believe it is important for followers of Jesus to do things that institutional churches are often quite good at helping members do, like fellowship with believers in study and worship, observe the Lord's supper, refine and encourage one another and come together to do missionary work.
That does not mean, of course, that it's impossible to do those things without a physical church campus. E.g. home churches, etc., since the church is its members, not the building or administrative architecture.
It is my opinion that most or all Christians need fellowship to get the most of their life and to be encouraged and aided in their walk. We live in very individualistic times and I get that, but Jesus wanted believers to help build each other up. We are the body of Christ, corporately (1 Cor 12), and there is tremendous learning and blessing and fulfillment to be found through being a part of a body of believers.
"and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Colossians 3
Anyway, that's my opinion. I hope everyone has a blessed week.
I don't have a problem with others who have chosen to not attend a church. But I do have a problem with those who choose not to attend and then try to persuade me or chastise me on my church attendance. In other words they try and get me to not attend. I have heard the following:
"You are going to church again?"
"When I was growing up we didn't go to church"
"How long is the church service going to last?"
"You just went to church last night" (This was said during a week long revival)
I have since limited my time around this negative person. My spirit is weakened and feel attacked when I am around them. It seems to anger him that I attend church.
I don't have a problem with others who have chosen to not attend a church. But I do have a problem with those who choose not to attend and then try to persuade me or chastise me on my church attendance. In other words they try and get me to not attend. I have heard the following:
"You are going to church again?"
"When I was growing up we didn't go to church"
"How long is the church service going to last?"
"You just went to church last night" (This was said during a week long revival)
I have since limited my time around this negative person. My spirit is weakened and feel attacked when I am around them. It seems to anger him that I attend church.
It angers what's in them. The flesh wars against the Spirit, continually. Peace
I don't have a problem with others who have chosen to not attend a church. But I do have a problem with those who choose not to attend and then try to persuade me or chastise me on my church attendance. In other words they try and get me to not attend. I have heard the following:
"You are going to church again?"
"When I was growing up we didn't go to church"
"How long is the church service going to last?"
"You just went to church last night" (This was said during a week long revival)
I have since limited my time around this negative person. My spirit is weakened and feel attacked when I am around them. It seems to anger him that I attend church.
Well that is strange. I can't imagine making comments about someone's desire to attend church. It very well may anger unbelievers to hear about your going to church. There are people in my own family who can't stand me to so much as mention God - so I feel your pain.
There's a big difference in attending a church you pick and letting the Lord bring you fellowship, which He will do if we submit to Him to do it and it's truly astounding to watch Him do it.
And you have a blessed week also. Peace
Amen. I really would like to find a church home at this point in my walk. But I've never felt disconnected from God during the years he has had me outside the 4 walled church - he has taught me a lot during that time and I feel ready for him to put me back in somewhere so I am praying about that.
Well that is strange. I can't imagine making comments about someone's desire to attend church. It very well may anger unbelievers to hear about your going to church. There are people in my own family who can't stand me to so much as mention God - so I feel your pain.
This particular person is a believer. He just doesn't want anything to do with church and he makes it very obvious by his comments and behavior. If he doesn't want to attend church, that is on him. However, I am not going to tolerate him or anyone else attempting to get me to not attend. This is why I stopped dating him.
For the sake of clarity, they refuse to because they'd rather spout out a laundry list of petty grievances, and dress it up in the garb of sanctimony. As if they are fooling anyone.
I mean, heck, Christianity is not a single monolithic entity with a single way of doing anything. There are big churches, small churches, liturgical churches, charismatic and pentecostal churches, churches with male clergy, churches with female clergy, churches that are all about sin, churches that are all about grace, churches with traditional music, churches with contemporary music, churches where people show up then leave, and churches that seek to build a community.
So whenever I hear someone offer up the lame, "I went to a church and people were mean to me," my two immediate reactions were a) this is baloney from someone who is easily affronted or just making things up whole cloth to make the case or b) if they were really that awful to you, that's a problem with that particular church, not churches in general. I mean, Westboro Baptist and your local Episcopal parish are both Christian churches, but I defy you to lump them together. They are completely alien from one another in thought, word, and deed.
I mean, if I had an unpleasant encounter with a person of an ethic group of a nation, does that mean everybody in that group or nation behaves like that? Of course not. Thinking that way would make me an idiot. So why do people indulge in this line of thinking about churches? Oh, wait. Right. They are just looking for excuses to not go.
Then let's move on to the entire "They're just a bunch of hypocrites" kind of nonsense. First of all, a church is a human institution functioning in an imperfect way. I don't know any person or organization that operates in a way that is perfect. Sometimes the mistakes are trivial. Sometimes the mistakes are huge. But this weird belief that a church is going to satisfy your rarefied standards of perfection at all times is not just childish, but also unchristian.
Hey, if something isn't working, fix it. Make a point of discussing with the clergy. Get on a committee. They'll likely welcome your input with open arms, as long as you discuss your concerns like an adult -- You know, with tact and diplomacy. Yes, I know that's a lot to ask of some. And if it truly is a pit of vipers, then hie thyself to a place that fits your definition of what a church should be.
Here's the thing. Christ in His life and ministry continued to participate in the religious community of His day. In teachings, He emphasized a communitarian approach, using phrases such as "I'm there when two or three are gathered in my name." Please note the plurality of worship there. So he might have found fault with the pharisees and sadducees of His day, but He kept coming. But He still participated. So when you claim to be Christian but fail to follow Christ's example of actually participating in the Christian life, particularly not wanting to be involved in its outward mission of caring for the poor and building God's kingdom on earth, I really don't take you very seriously at all.
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Peace
