Monday, May 12, 2008
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Q&A Time
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Finding Nemo (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
By Eric Bana, Nicholas Bird (II), Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, Ellen DeGeneres
see relatedHad this conversation with someone today:
Me: "When are you coming to church then?"
They: "I have this thing against organized religion, I don't like it."
Me: "Another reason you should try visiting our church. It's kinda not normal"
They: "I don't like religion"
Me: "Neither do I. I dislike Religion, and Relgious people most of all."
They: "Then why do you go to church?"
....at this point, the conversation was interrupted and left us both hanging.....
So now I'm pondering this....folks, why do we go to church? it's not about being "religious." It's not about the motions, it's not about the people....And saying "God commands us too" is not a valid answer for someone who needs a reason to attend.....
Thots?
Your turn...please express.
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Comments (17)
We go to Church because it is the temple of God. There is one place of worship - the Church.. :)
When I am alone I can praise the name of Jesus.
When we are together we can magnify that praise.
Old Hat
Good question. I'm going to have to ponder this one for a while.
to worship. because God deserves our honor. same reason we give flowers on mother's day.
and to fellowship, and remember that we do not fight alone.
We go to church because salvation is not an Army of One. We need the Body. We need a chance to come together and corporately worship. We need to help others heal and to let them help us heal.
My pastor says it beautifully--church is not a school for saints, it's a hospital for sinners.
Yes, we're commanded to go to church. And yes we go to worship. But we can worship anywhere. God expects us to worship corporately because of the fellowship and the coming together of a family.
It's about going to a place where there is healing, where there is love. It is a body that is supposed to be the embodiment of love, a place where people can go with questions or hurts, and find answers and healing. If it isn't that, the coolest bells and whistles don't mean a thing.
It isn't "organized religion" because it isn't a group of people trying to impose something on you. They are trying to introduce you to someone, but only because that someone has done so much for them, and they want the same beautiful healing for you.
That is what I would say. I would hope your church would fit that description :).
I go to church because I need other Christians to remind me about God. I don't go to a "Religous" church - I go to one that is a group of saved sinners who worship God together and encourage each other to stay the course. ~ L
I go to church to set aside time for God, to worship along with other believers, to be encouraged by hearing God's Word, to learn, to see my church family and enjoy fellowship, to be a part of the body. Like others have said, we need each other and are stronger together. It really is a family to me and so I want to be with my family praising, praying, supporting, giving, working, learning together.
Turns out I agree with most of what everybody else has said. I go to church for: worship, fellowship, rest, encouragement, spiritual nourishment, and a million other reasons.
I especially love what soulstarclear said, "...and remember that we do not fight alone."
Awesome.
To learn and to encourage and be encouraged.
I like your answers in the dialogue, because I, too, dislike organized religion. It's usually cold and impersonal.....And it's sending many people to hell!
As for why we do meet, I've pondered this question as well. I would point to Hebrews 10:25, which says we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Also, Jesus said in John 13:35 that we will show ourselves to be His disciples by our love for the brethren. How can you love someone if you never spend time with them?
I am of the opinion that the church is for believers. Not that unbelievers can't come, but trying to convince them to come would be unnatural in most cases. Once they are saved, they will want to spend time with other believers. I've heard it said that when you're down, you need the church (by that I mean the believers found in the building) and when you're up, the church needs you.
Good post!
no man is an island. that essentially is why. I can worship and magnify God on my own, I can serve Him on my own and love Him on my own. But I can't do it well. We are a unit as the church, and because of that we NEED each other, we need church. Not to fulfill religious duty, but to truly BE christians, to truly be the Church. going to church and being involved is a constant reminder that it isn't about me. religion is about me - what rules I have to follow, what I have to do, how good I can be etc...church is about God, about others. I go because I know I must in order to not make my christian faith all about me.
Well, at church you have a chance for regular, weekly fellowship with believers, and we are told not to forsake the fellowship of believer. True, you could have fellowship with believers many other times and places, but that's still one reason. Also, it is a chance to pray and to worship, which is something we might not make time to do very much otherwise, alas. Then, we also get to hear God's word preached, and I guess it depends on what pastor you have, but that is an awesome thing. I love my pastor's sermons. They are also so deep and though-provoking and challenging. Then, there is also communion. Celebrating the Lord's supper is a beautiful privelege. So those would be my reasons.
I went back and read other people's answers. They are all awesome and inspiring. I'm glad you had this post, because it reminds me that church is not just a ritual, and something done all the time has the tendency to become one.
One thing I was thinking about when I read what other people said here, is that church is like one's home. It's like driving to visit your parents and siblings on the weekends to hang out with them. It's not really about what building it's in, either. One of my dearest friends has church in her home with several other different families. Maybe our motto should be the same as Olive Garden's "when you're here, you're family".
So... guess who apparently has access to Xanga??!? A big
to whoever freed up the restrictions here at work!! Okay, to answer your question: I personally go to church to hear truth, to be challenged to live for Christ, to interact with other people who believe like I do, to worship God with others, to be encouraged in this journey. I don't know how much that "appeals" to the unsaved person, but the unsaved person cannot understand spiritual things because they do not have the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). Advertising church to the seeker is... well... a Seeker Friendly Church. Either a person wants to be near God or they don't. We can't force them one way or the other. If this person hates religion, maybe tell them it's not about religion, but about truth. Do they hate truth? Could be they're just not ready yet. And that's okay. Keep praying, keep loving them. God will draw them.
... because when you have poopy mornings like I had this morning but go to church anyway, you're lifted and refreshed and energized and encouraged and challenged. I LOVE my church!
I have been pondering this question for a couple of years now...still not sure why I go to the church I go to. I think my church has become an organized religious place...totally boring. But I'm beginning to see some signs of life...that's a good thing.