I DON'T GET IT......I JUST DON"T GET IT!!!!!!!!
I have always believed that it is not the church you attend that is central to who we are as Christians, but it is the relationship we maintain and foster with Jesus Christ. A "church" is a building, built with bricks and mortar, where people can meet to worship together. Even if we attend a church week in and week out, it does not mean we have that relationship with Christ. It is up to us as individuals to take that step.
So what if someone moves a distance away from that church building, or after some time of trying to "fit it" and it just ain't happenning, or someone determines that they are no longer being spiritually fed at that church as they have changed, yet the church has not, or..........etc, etc, etc. Do you stay put and become stale in your faith? Do you "stick it out" so that people don't think less of you? Do you travel for miles and miles and start to think of attending a church as a chore, and eventually get stressed because of it?
To me it's a no brainer. It is important to be somewhere where you are "fed", where you fit in, where you feel you can contribute, where you are not frazzled everytime you arrive because you've worked a 12 hour shift and had to rush half an hour to 45 minutes away to a 2 - 3 hour meeting or practice (oh ya, and you have to work a 12 hour day the next day too!). So what is the responsible thing to do, well............find a new church!
So what's got my dander up????? What don't I get????? Well, it's those people in the church who must pass judgement on others who are looking for the church where they are fed. Comments such as "my son travels the same distance as them. He's not looking for something else" WELL GOODIE FOR HIM! THIS IS NOT ABOUT HIM ANYWAYS! or "oh, something must be 'wrong' for them to be doing this", and "do they not realize what this will do to their mother." DO THEY NOT GET IT!!!! Biblically we are told to hold one another accountable, NOT to "judge others lest you be judged." As far as I'm concerned, we need to hold each other accountable and support each other when we see each other getting spiritually "burnt and stale", not judge them when they look for a solution. Maybe if people did the supporting thing rather than the "well my son....." thing, maybe people would not feel they need to look elsewhere.
Rant over..........now I feel better!
PS: Stephen, this is not a rant on Berkshire
So what if someone moves a distance away from that church building, or after some time of trying to "fit it" and it just ain't happenning, or someone determines that they are no longer being spiritually fed at that church as they have changed, yet the church has not, or..........etc, etc, etc. Do you stay put and become stale in your faith? Do you "stick it out" so that people don't think less of you? Do you travel for miles and miles and start to think of attending a church as a chore, and eventually get stressed because of it?
To me it's a no brainer. It is important to be somewhere where you are "fed", where you fit in, where you feel you can contribute, where you are not frazzled everytime you arrive because you've worked a 12 hour shift and had to rush half an hour to 45 minutes away to a 2 - 3 hour meeting or practice (oh ya, and you have to work a 12 hour day the next day too!). So what is the responsible thing to do, well............find a new church!
So what's got my dander up????? What don't I get????? Well, it's those people in the church who must pass judgement on others who are looking for the church where they are fed. Comments such as "my son travels the same distance as them. He's not looking for something else" WELL GOODIE FOR HIM! THIS IS NOT ABOUT HIM ANYWAYS! or "oh, something must be 'wrong' for them to be doing this", and "do they not realize what this will do to their mother." DO THEY NOT GET IT!!!! Biblically we are told to hold one another accountable, NOT to "judge others lest you be judged." As far as I'm concerned, we need to hold each other accountable and support each other when we see each other getting spiritually "burnt and stale", not judge them when they look for a solution. Maybe if people did the supporting thing rather than the "well my son....." thing, maybe people would not feel they need to look elsewhere.
Rant over..........now I feel better!
PS: Stephen, this is not a rant on Berkshire
posted by Joanne @ 10:12 AM
3 Comments:
At 6:13 PM,
Barbara said…
I know this isn't about Berkshire and I do know where this comes from.
There is no one church to meet everyone's needs and no one denomination. Church isn't a one size fits all. We need to find the place that fits with us ... and also be willing to let go and move on when the fit no longer works.
At 6:50 AM,
Wanda said…
Here Here!
At 9:04 PM,
Catharine said…
I sometimes think that one of the worst things churches do (regardless of faith) is be judgemental and critical of each other. Church should be a refudge a place for contimplation, rejuvination, peace, praise, and community (I'm sure I could go on and on and on). God looks into the heart and wants a relationship with Him. The church we attend should foster this relationship. We should not settle for attending just to satisfy an exterior expectation. Ultimately do what is best for your relationship with God.
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