Help me get motivated to go back to church

I made a slight correction to your otherwise very insightful post in bold.

In all seriousness: To a degree, you're right. People expect every hour or two on Sunday to take all their blacks and make them white, all their woes into joys, all their boos into yays. And certainly that CAN happen, but if you're a Christian you shouldn't be going to church because you think it's a quick fix or a quick hit of life. And when it doesn't happen, they get dejected and frustrated. And that happens with a lot of strong Christians who know better but still hope for a dramatic turnaround, then not get it and become more discouraged than ever.

Having said that, you should always get something of substance out of your time spent with God. The purpose of church, at least to a Christian, isn't so much to listen to the preacher preach, but to experience fellowship with like-minded believers in the presence of a loving and caring Lord. You should never leave the building the same as you enter it, even if it's only something reasonably small like taking away a verse from the Bible that you didn't think as much about before, or a new way to apply the things you learn from your walk with Him. It shouldn't be a "what have you done for me lately" kind of transaction, but there should be something, however small. Church should provide something directly to your benefit every week, or at least most weeks.

But for the most part, you're right. Saturday night sinners become Sunday morning saints. As long as people put on the nice suit and the pretty floral dresses and the shiny shoes and glide on down the aisle like it's a coming out party in God's house, and the only reason they're doing it is to make people around them think "wow, what an awesome bunch of Christians!", then they're really missing the point. Most people don't -- and SHOULDN'T -- get the great transformation of which you speak, because it turns into a drug (where's my weekly God buzz and why was last week's so weak?, and emotions have surprisingly little to do with love to and from God. If you want to feel perpetually great, get drunk a lot. The purpose of church is far, far deeper.

 

well I had a problem with a similar problem. We had left the Church we had been going to for 10 years, and I was not suer what to do ( We were Baptist from the word go and loved it. Would never think about going any where else) But I really enjoy going to Church and Alleyallan can atest to that and supports me with it to even though he does not go to church. But if you really feel a strong need to get back in than may I suggest that You pray about it and pray with your wife( and if you had ever gone before you know that prayer works. so try it and see what he says) hope to here the news soon

 

Excellent correction to my original post, MM!

And I did get something of substance during my hourlong hike in the mountains today. Can't tell me God wasn't there. Can't tell me I have to go to church to spend time with God, either.

 

You don't need no friends
get back your faith again
you have the power to believe
another dissident
take back your evidence
it has no power to decieve

I'll believe it when I see it, for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive

I sit with them all night
everything they say is right
but in the morning they were wrong
I'll be right by your side
come hell or water high
down any road you choose to roam

I'll believe it when I see it, for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive, yeah

 

Nobody is saying that you have to but some people feel more connected to Him buy going to a (building) rather than being with Him anywhere else and Yes you can be with Him anywhere and it can be spiritual

 

I certainly don't think that God lives in the church and that's where you go to visit Him, like it's a petting zoo for the soul (not saying you do, but plenty treat it like such). But I think there's something that you get out of fellowship with similiarly-minded believers in a house of worship where they preach from the Bible and exalt Jesus that you aren't going to get from taking a nature hike. Now that's not to say that you should do nothing but shack up in the white-wooded Baptist church down the road and never ever come out; heck, the Apostles were a bunch of outdoorsy blue-collar workers. And if being outside brings you closer to God, that's a very good thing. But I do believe there's a purpose to church that is not duplicated in any other activity, just as reading the Bible is a good thing but won't prepare you for a 10K race in two weeks.

 

That's the key word: You. ... Some people don't get anything out of that, and believe the same things. Some people do.

To each his own.

 

Right. I'm answering the question from my own perspective. Certainly I would expect someone of a different faith, or of no faith, to produce a different answer. Your experiences frame your ideals and how you express them, and mine (holiday Catholic as a child --> apathetic agnostic in college --> joined a non-denominational seeker-friendly church and became born again in 1999 --> struggle with my walk but try to please Him today) provides the perspective I presented just now.

 

No offense, MM, but the only thing I've ever gotten from being among others in a house of worship is 1) judged 2) told I was going to hell for my heathen tendencies 3) guilt tripped 4) maybe a little Bible education on the side.

I'm not going to drag my personal experiences into this, because I'm sure nobody's really interested and I don't care to share, but I will say I've tried more than one church of more than one denomination and it just hasn't worked out. Some people get their spiritual connection without the help of others or of said buildings.

 

Believe me, you're not offending me by pointing out there's too many congregations that have lost their first love, those that rule by way of legalism and hypocracy and unrealistic expectations of their members. I've encountered a few of them in my days looking for a church home, and after the hour was up I backed away slowly, making sure not to make eye contact with them before getting out of Dodge. Then I dusted myself off and tried somewhere else the next week.

You don't want to drag personal experiences into this, and that's fine, and I'll drop the subject. I do think that there are plenty more good churches than bad, and as unfortunate as it was that you hit a string of bad apples in a row, they aren't a good representation of the Christian church in America.

 

Well you say that it's gospel
But I know it's only church

 

Part of the problem for me getting motivated to go back to church, a topic I've discussed with Busdriver on more than one occasion, is the message that's put out. Usually, I'll immediately discount a church based on the message displayed on the board in front of the building. If it's upbeat, positive or clever, it scores points. If it's preachy or a finger-pointing kind of thing, I turn my head.

For example, one church had the message "Exposure to the Son may prevent burning."
OK, that's clever and I might actually consider that church.

But the one that says, "Why don't you believe in God?" followed by "Eternity is a long time to be wrong," on the other immediately puts up a wall that says, "We want you to feel bad about being a sinner. Come here to be slapped around on Sundays. And Wednesdays. And be sure to leave money in our collection plate so we can create missionaries to go to Kuala Lumpur and slap around a bunch of other heathens, too."