Atria35 (post: 1483890) wrote:It might depend. Why don't you want to go to church? If it's just because you don't want to, for no discernible reason, it could be that you're just suffering from a case of the lazies. But thinking about why you don't feel comfortable in church might give you some answers.
Nate (post: 1483933) wrote:I haven't been to church in years. For a while, it was because of my job (working night shift, and we worked on Sundays), but even after I quit I didn't feel a need to go back. I didn't connect with anyone on a personal level at the church, despite having grown up there...what I mean is, there were people I knew and were friendly with, but they weren't really friends, they were friends of my parents. There's no one my age at my church. On top of that, I don't fit in well with the church theologically, and that really made me uncomfortable.
And since all the other churches in my area are worse (about these things, I'm not making a statement about the quality of the people/services), I just don't go to church anymore. I don't think it's really a bad thing. I often feel closer to God chatting with friends online and posting here on CAA than I do sitting in church (I'm also not saying CAA should be a substitute church, either, I'm just saying how I feel about it).
Riggidig wrote:While I cannot remember 100% what was said, I believe the young pastor raised the point that a church is more "structured" compared to, say, a get together at home. He also pointed out that a church had more "trained" people who knew how to deal with certain issues eg. spiritual crisess, needing advice regarding issues of faith, etc. compared to people who met in groups outside of the church.
Riggidig (post: 1483944) wrote:I remember once at a youth group (which was led by a young pastor) how the one girl said that she also doesn't go to church and prefers get togethers like this instead, because it is still also 2 or more people gathering in the name of God. The young pastor was quick to shoot her down, saying its wrong NOT to go to church, because basically the leaders of the church had more knowledge regarding the Bible and such, compared a bunch of "everyday" people just getting together. The girl never came back to the group by the way.
Who was right and who was wrong?
Riggidig (post: 1483954) wrote:While I cannot remember 100% what was said, I believe the young pastor raised the point that a church is more "structured" compared to, say, a get together at home. He also pointed out that a church had more "trained" people who knew how to deal with certain issues eg. spiritual crisess, needing advice regarding issues of faith, etc. compared to people who met in groups outside of the church.
Radical Dreamer (post: 1484019) wrote:I would've mentioned the following verse:
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
As Christians, we're all capable of reading and studying God's Word. Just because one person is a pastor doesn't make him or her any more qualified as a person than someone who is a strong follower of Christ, but not an ordained minister. We are all capable of talking with God and spending time with Him (referencing "a royal priesthood" here, in that we don't need a priest to act as a mediator between God and ourselves anymore (according to Protestant beliefs). And we're all capable of coming together with one another as a community of believers.
Am I discrediting going to church, or pastors, or any of that? Absolutely not. But I don't believe you have to go to church every Sunday to go to Church, if you see what I mean. The Church is the Body of Christ, not an institution. And really, a lot of what it means to go to church will depend on your own personal experiences. Some people avoid church because they've been deeply hurt by the institution and the people in the church, and I believe that's a fully valid reason to stay away for some time. Others avoid church to avoid feeling out of place or ostracized, and while that's also a valid reason, I think it's very sad that the Body of Christ can't seem to figure out how to love each other. Still others avoid church to avoid conviction, which is a different matter altogether, and is ultimately between that person and God (though not a valid reason to stay away from church, IMO XD).
All of that being said, here is an article I've linked multiple times before, but I agree with it so much that I will just link it again. XD It's relevant to the topic at hand, I think.
Why I Don't Go to Church
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