Featured Why Do You Go/or not go to Church?

The new stuff that I've heard is tripe. It is shallow and self focused. Those who coin these lyrics testify to their ignorance. Those who approve of them reinforce that ignorance.

 

Yes, that's what I meant about ' breaking the rules ' in order to do certain things you have to ' be a official member ' and stick to one church.
All the best as you endeavour to follow your heart xxxx
Rita

 

At home it is nothing, Christ is not present in the elements. Christ gave the example in the upper room where the Apostles carried it out and laid their hands on others ordaining them for the work of God. You will not find the idea of having some bread in your home and that being good enough in Scripture or in the Early Church Fathers (whom many were taught by the Apostles themselves). It is unfortunate that evangelicals have so many bad practices because of the ideas of men.

 

be mindful you don't substitute mans ideas in place of God's. The point of the instructions at the last supper was to remember Jesus and his significance till he returns.
Church is not a building to state the obvious. Church is where two or three are gathered in his name....a home, a prison, a cave, a mountain or even an animal shelter. The location is irrelevant.

 

I know this may be difficult for some christians to hear, but I find it difficult to attend church on a weekly basis. Well my job for 1, weekend option RN, but not making excuses for weekend option.

1. I'm introverted
2. I don't like music, I'm tone death
3. I don't especially like the meet and greet thing, where you turn to your right and left, backwards and forward and make introductions, shake hands etc, has always made me very uncomfortable...my wife doesn't like this part of the service also and she is extroverted lol.
4. I do more studying and praying every day of the week. 1 or 2 hours on Sunday seems minimal compared to my daily study.

Ok, this is what I do know. There are multiple verses in the Bible where Jesus talks about gathering yourselves together in worship. my favorite is Matthew 18:20 (KJV), For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

In addition, I will add that Church is great for accountability, great for being involved and actually being responsible for task like teaching or witnessing to others, even church yard maintenance.

So my plan from here, is to continue trying to attend church, but start a home bible study group at my home during the week, under the guidance of the church I am presently attending. This way, when I miss those weekend church services or don't feel like going (mostly from anxiety of being around other people), I will have home bible studies where I gather with other christians. SOUND LIKE A PLAN?

 

I must admit, I have found this practice somewhat corny and controlling. That said, people invent all sorts of peculiar practices. I'm not going to get my nose outta joint because of an irrelevancy.
Your home bible study sounds like a great idea jshiii.

 

Jesus is always present, wherever we are.

 

That sound like a good plan. I used to enjoy our home bible study group. we would do a bible study have a time of praise and prayer and sometimes partake of bread and wine. It is easier to connect within a small group.

 

Taking communion 'on your own' would not feel right to me either. It's something to be done together, in fellowship - otherwise a large part of the symbolism is missing.

 

At home with a small group of friends or family is good.

 

some good points imo! But i suggest for a learning exercise at tleast that we contemplate that it is not even possible to "go to" Church being as how we are the Church, iow recognize that "go to church" makes for understandable shorthand, but is not really even possible ok right?

 

wadr communion as a ritual period, no matter where it is done, is just that, the ritual, as valid at home as in any place we might erroneously deem "church?" So if it doesnt feel right to you at home, then why does it at some other place that we might call "church?" Convention and tradition, right?

 

Ummmm sorry but I can think of several places where Jesus would not follow me into. "If you wanna go there son, you're on your own".

 

That would be equivalent to a house church, wouldn't it?
At least that's in a group!

 

You've missed my point, I think. "Church" is not a particular building, but any place where local believers meet together. Which might well be someone's home (as it was in the first century). What would feel wrong to me would be taking communion at home alone (or just with my nuclear family).

 

"Jesu, where'er Thy people meet,
There they behold the mercy seat,
To them that seek Thee, Thou are found
And every place is hallowed ground."

 

so you say, and i even understand why ok, but i disagree wadr, and if we examined your vv for justification we might see why. Church may be a place to you, but it is a Condition to me. No "church" in your lexicon has ever had only two or three, that i am aware of, and etc, so when you say "wherever believers gather" see you mean one thing whereas i would be meaning another i think

mostly i guess bc it is only too easy to hear a "place" at say "the church at Ephesus" for instance when no place is actually invoked at all, other than "the Church," people iow, "at Ephesus," which is not the name of a building at all right.

so we then extrapolate that into "the believers who all believed exactly the same just like we do, that all came together in a building in Ephesus, just like we do."
Rather than "the faithful who happened to be in Ephesus at the time" iow?