August 24, 2006 8:14 AM
When you doubt your church
Jennifer wrote this as a comment, but I thought I’d move it up where everyone would be sure to read it. I'd love to hear your comments too.
Hi Barbara, I've been reading your blog for months now and have never commented. But thank you!! Your posts are often thought-provoking, funny, and informative. I appreciate what you have been sharing about Christianity and Greed.I have a question...our church is contemplating building a new sanctuary. Our pastor made a statement Sunday evening that I am still thinking about. The question was raised about whether or not we would continue to have multiple services on Sunday morning. We went to 3 services because of room issues. Now it has become "convenient". You can attend the early service and have the rest of the day "free". You can attend the 2nd service and enjoy a more "contemporary" service (a band plays during that time). Or you can attend the 11:00 service for the more "traditional" minded.
Our pastor answered the question with this statement "you aren't "doing church" right in today's world if you don't have multiple services". This concerns me and I'm not sure why. I don't have a problem with the multiple services, but I do have a problem with this idea of having to "do church right" in today's world.
Am I being too picky? Too critical? Is this a "red" flag?
There are some things I'm really not an expert on. And this issue of seeker-friendly churches goes on at much more intellectual blogs than this one. But what I like about the discussions we have at MommyLife is that they focus on how big issues filter down to affect our families. It's one thing to talk about Christian materialism theoretically - and another to see the impact on our families and how God might be pleased to see a mother respond. It's one thing to talk about church distinctions theoretically and another to hear the experience of other mothers in dealing with this issue.
Part of our family's spiritual journey has been attending a broad spectrum of churches - from mega to mini, from seeker-friendly to doctrinaire, from charismatic to frozen chosen, from every-Sunday-is-Easter to strictly liturgical, from high school gyms to stained glass windows, from praise chorus worship to hymns-only-please.
Some would criticize us for this. But I don't apologize. It's just been part of God's plan for our family and - I assume - the education he wanted for my children. If anything, I think the church instills too much fear in believers that there is something wrong with them when they feel the call to move on to another church. One thing our family has learned is an appreciation for the wideness and vastness of the body of Christ in our country alone (so far none of us has been out of the country). We've even watched documentaries about Appalachian snake-handling churches :).
My guess is that God is using this experience in each of us to accomplish a certain plan. For me personally, I have truly been expanded in the area of grace by this exposure. I tend not to dwell on theological distinctions beyond the Five Solas. And I tend to enjoy all forms of "church" as we refer to the compartmentalized activity we share during certain hours in a certain building with certain other people. With the exception of aberrant churches or those where the leader is not behaving as a true servant of Christ.
The truth is, the church is not a certain building or the people who attend it or an activity for Sunday morning. The church is the entire body of believers in Christ - not a single one of them perfect, which is why no single church is perfect either. I think the mentality we have of "my church" and the issues that divide believers work to keep the True Church - the body of Christ - from being as effective as it can. Instead of spending our energy working in our communities and helping others and building relationships with people who need Jesus, we are busy with our isolated church activities and issues.
Maybe it's because I didn't get saved in a church, but my relationship with my Heavenly Father has been direct and immediate so I've never felt that I "belonged" to a particular church as much as I belonged to Him. Tripp's experience is the same, and so when the Spirit nudged us to move on, we just did. (You can find the story of how we surrendered our life to Christ here.)
All by way of saying, Jennifer, that that is always an option if your Christian growth is taking you and your husband in another direction. Sometimes it begins with uneasy feelings like you've expressed - where something isn't ringing exactly true and you begin to discuss and pray about it.
Or it may be that you will stay with a fresh understanding and appreciation for what God is doing at your church. One way or another, by asking questions, sharing ideas, and praying you will arrive at a new understanding of where God wants you and why.
It's not wrong to ask questions. And while lots of people may share their experience, it will only be useful in helping you and your husband sort out ideas to eventually determine what God wants for you and your family.
He is sure to lead you if you let him - and since that is often accomplished by thoughts provoked through discussion with others, let's just invite some here.
Posted in Church Issues | Permalink
Comments
I have to agree that the comment about 'doing church right' in the world's view rings alarm bells for me. Meeting together as God's people is something that we do in obedience to Him, because He has put the desire in our hearts to do so, and when we obey Him, He blesses us. True, we are to reach out to those who are not the Lord's and who need salvation, but we should be concerned about doing what is right in God's sight, not in the worlds sight.
The Lord knows our hearts and our desires and hears our prayers. I fully relate to that feeling of being unsettled in a church although for very different reasons.My comfort and hope is that the Lord knows what He is doing, and that if I rest on Him, He will guide and direct my paths.
Actually, I have to say that I don't like the term 'doing church' at all. What is that?
Posted by: Susanna | August 24, 2006 3:53 PM
Church is the body of believers. The church is the only group that exits for the non-members. Sure, the worship services are to worship and enjoy the God-head, however the extent of the church is to preach the word. The five solas are the key to a true church, and the last Sola (God's Glory) is the hardest to find due to seeker-sentive churches, and man-centered churches (such as preaching that God needs us in order for God to be glorified, or open theism which is the theology that God is not all knowing). The church needs to meet because we as believers need the gospel as much today as we did when we first believed. However the church also needs to seek the non-believers and thru it we will come to the full knowledge of every good thing in us which is the imputed righteousness of Christ. For me, (practically) a church needs to focus on the local community around building and the poor surronding it. The members of the church needs to focus also on the people in their lives. Sundays are the way to share their ministiees and lives with anyone who shows up. Sunday services are not a Holy Huddle. Also, the ideal worship service should include hymns, contempary, gospel, latino, etc types of music. Scripture should also be valued extremly high and not just pushed aside which is the case of seeker-senstive churches (trade the full reality of scripture in exchange for an easier gospel that the outsiders might agree with more, which then makes the newer believers people who believe a gospel which is a water down Word, which is really no gospel at all).
Posted by: Webb | August 24, 2006 11:00 PM
I'm really appreciating these posts on church right now, Mrs. Barbara, because my dh is currently candidating for his first senior pastorate. All of these things about having a healthy church will be a help to us as we seek to follow Christ's lead and be the best facilitators for Christ that we can be for us and our people.
Personally, I think one of the big things lacking in all the American churches I've ever been a part of is open communication between Leader and Congregation. If my dh or I said something that didn't sound right (which is bound to happen and likely often with us), I and my dh want our people to be on a level with us so they could feel comfortable coming to us and asking about what was said or perceived. This is NOT encouraged by most pastors that I've ever run into, but I believe that pastors and Christians have suffered much because of this approach.
Posted by: Cheri | August 25, 2006 6:09 AM
Wow! I came here today to check on my "comment" and didn't expect to see a whole post relating to it! Thank you, Barbara! I, too, have had many experiences over my "growing up" years in a variety of church settings (or non settings, as the case may be). My dh came from a catholic background to this church which we have been attending for over 17 years.
There have been a few things, over the years, that have concerned us...or more often...concerned me! :) But we have grown closer together and share more of our thoughts & concerns and seek the Lord together for what God desires to do in our family as we walk in obedience. That has been a blessing.
You said "The church is the entire body of believers in Christ - not a single one of them perfect, which is why no single church is perfect either. I think the mentality we have of "my church" and the issues that divide believers work to keep the True Church - the body of Christ - from being as effective as it can. Instead of spending our energy working in our communities and helping others and building relationships with people who need Jesus, we are busy with our isolated church activities and issues."
I find this to be true in the church we attend. There is this mentality of "my church"...come to "my" church...find out about God at "my" church. If the pastor is away, our numbers go down! It seems to be more about how much "fun" our church and pastor are and how unique and strong and less about coming to know the God of the Bible! Oh, our pastor DOES preach the Word of God and doesn't hold back from what God's Word says. We appreciate that and appreciate the relationships that we have developed over the years.
I appreciated what you shared about your relationship with the Lord being "direct" and "immediate". I know that for my dh and I, that is our greatest desire. To truly "know" God and be in close intimate fellowship with Him, to draw our children to the foot of the cross and address the heart issues, and then to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He would have us.
I'd like to see more of the lost coming to hear God's Word and less of the "shifting" of fellow believers. We aren't needing to add on to our church because we are reaching the lost and we are busting the seams! We have more believers leaving their own communities and finding our church and staying for a while, before moving on.
Well, I don't want to complain! Thanks for giving me the chance to think more on this and for the reminder that we are to seek God for ourselves, seek to reach those who need Jesus, and not just remain in our "church bubble" unaware of anyone else around us!
Posted by: Jennifer | August 28, 2006 6:48 AM
Here is a good quote that i found interesting....
Divisions and separations are most objectionable in religion. They weaken the cause of true Christianity ...But before we blame people for them, we must be careful that we lay the blame where it is deserved. False doctrine and heresy are even worse than schism. If people separate themselves from teaching that is positively false and unscriptural, they ought to be praised rather than reproved. In such cases separation is a virtue and not a sin.
J.C. RYLE
Posted by: Webb | August 28, 2006 5:38 PM
