As many know, I am a pretty opinionated person and I will almost always have a thought on something. My thoughts today came about because of my daughter Jessica. She and I were talking about why don’t people go to church. Or why do they stop going to church? I’m pretty sure if you ask a group of people, you will get a butt load of answers.
Now, if you ask my husband he says it is boring and he doesn’t like how some of the music sounds like he is going to a funeral. And on the flip side he doesn’t like it when the music is for hours long and then he has to sit there and listen to the sermon. lol. I told him he just wants to be a heathen. That is a whole other subject, lol.
When I asked people why they don’t go to church I get a number of answers. The very first answer was somewhat of a slap in the face because as a Christian, this is something we all should be doing. Most of those I talked to said that they don’t go to church because they were never invited. After thinking on this, I can see how this could be. Jessica said that she thought it was the number one answer too. Let’s think about this for a few here.
We have our own little world of family and friends. Every now and then someone new enters into our lives and they become a part of our little world. If anyone is like me, they know that I am a Christian and I have no problem sharing that with anyone who is around. But there are times when I hesitate to share with someone out of fear of them thinking I’m a street corner Bible thumper. There was once a time when I didn’t want to be known as a Jesus Freak or something similar to that. It wasn’t the cool thing to be. Anymore I could care less if people know that I am a believer in Christ and that He alone is who I need to answer too.
So back to my thoughts here. Many times people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone and talk to those who we are closer to. We don’t want them to think we are shoving our faith down their throats. I have actually tried to visualize this happening, lol and it is not a pretty picture. Many times I fail to ask someone to church because I know they go to another church or that they don’t believe in God and want no part of it. This is my thinking at least. It’s more than likely not reality. So as a friend who wants to respect my friend or family member, we talk about the weather or who is going to beat the Lakers in the NBA playoffs. I don’t want to be that person that is known for taking a hammer and knocking some sense into someone when it comes to getting to know Christ. It is a no brainer to me… OK, maybe I would like a hammer.
When Jess and I were talking about this, it brought some thoughts to my head about why people don’t go to church, These are also excuses people use;
- Was never invited to not go to church;
- No time; schedule conflicts; working 2
- Not interested in church
- Don’t know
- All they want is my money
- My beliefs are different than the church’s
- Don’t believe in organized religion
- Don’t need to worship at a church
- People will judge me because I don’t have nice cloths
One thing that did catch my attention was that some people find
that when they go to church it is like they are going to a show. Whoever can be the loudest and get the most attention is the one that is center of attention. Three of the people I talked to was talking about how some churches don’t feel like they are worshiping God. Sure there is preaching going on. But it isn’t to glorify God. God isn’t the center of their church and hearts. When churches is all about show and things like that then God isn’t going to bless the church. God has to be the center of the church. Without God you just have a lot of people making noise and saying “look at me”.
I have been to some churches myself where I didn’t feel the presence of God. I have also known a number of church leaders who are more into themselves then Christ. They say they are there to save souls. But all I see is a bunch of words coming out of their mouths and not a whole lot of anything else.
Social Media and Streaming of church services have also taken the place of going to church. Anymore you can plug into a church service on ROKU, Facebook, Twitter and the hoards of other channels. These types of services are great once in awhile. But they shouldn’t take the place of truly worshiping Christ with other believers. We were created to be with other people and I think that counts when it comes to going to church. I’m not saying to not watch church on TV. I’m saying that it is good to get off your butt and go to church and worship with other fellow believers.
There is one other important statement that some have made and that is that they have been hurt. Unfortunately, there are those who don’t attend church because they have experienced great pain in a local church. We are sometimes brutal when it comes to our own people. Christians aren’t exempt from hurting others. I know I have made more than my share of stupid mistakes and unwise choices.
Here are some awesome reasons to go to church. Not a virtual church, but a church where you are greeted with a handshake, hug or whatever as you walk into the door and find your seat. After checking with some people and asking the question about why they go to church, here are the answers…
- for spiritual growth and guidance
- Relationship Other than Family Member
- Friendliness of Members
- keeps me grounded/guided
- Pastor/Preaching
- church was a vital part of their relationship with God
- felt that church was helping them become a better person
- it’s my faith
In closing, I want to say that I personally don’t think that church can save you. It is a building. For me church is the people I worship with each week. The body of Christ is the church. A building won’t save you. The only one who can save you is Christ alone. We can all come up with excuses to not go to church and I can come up with some pretty good ones if I don’t want to do something. But for me going to church is an honor and blessing. If I don’t agree with the message, I have no problem asking the pastor where he got his information. I don’t want to get preachy and I have a way of doing that. So I will close up on this thought for today.
Senseless Ramblings of the Mindless 