Bible Question:
First of all, I do not mean to offend anyone, I am just curious as to other outlooks on this topic. I am a 20 year old man who Beleives firmly in God and in the Savior Jesus Christ. I pray daily and am doing all that I can to develop a relationship with god. I do not however, attend church on a regular basis. My experience and outlook on the church, has led me to beleive that quite often, the church in my opinion tends to lead people away from a true beleif in God. Too many times in church I've felt like someone else's beleifs are being forced upon me in place of being inspired to develop my own beleifs through the truth of the bible and to find what god truly wants me to do with my life. I've always thought that the church should be a place where you can go to worship God in your own way and a place to go where you can learn through sharing with the experiences and outlooks of others, yet in most churches I've attended, perspectives that don't agree with the pastors are completely shunned on. I guess I only wish that church was a more free enviroment and that I could attend it without feeling like I have to beleive word by word the interpretation of the bible that someone else has instead of developing my own interpretation. What I want to know is does anybody else feel this way, and does it seem wrong to anyone but me to replace doing what you feel god wants with going to church every week and doing what the church says? I welcome all views from either end of the perspective as I am an open mind and want to truly learn from the beleifs of others. |
Bible Answer: Greetings JGA216, I read from three Daily Devotionals every day, and one of them had an entry for December 16, 2003 that I believe speaks right to the "heart" of the issue of going to church.. I am a 27 year old man who is not too far removed from your shoes, my friend! "Why Go To Church?" (Scripture reading: Hebrews 10:19-25) "In a letter to the editor of a British newspaper, a man complained that he saw no sense in going to church every Sunday. "I have been attending services quite regularly for the past 30 years," he wrote, "and during that time ... I have listed to no less than 3,000 sermons. But, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else." "That letter sparked many responses. One, however, was the clincher: "I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals- mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them I would have starved to death long ago." "The Bible assumes the importance of going to church, and the only admonition to do so appears in the context of the danger of forsaking the practice (Hebrews 10:25). We need help to keep our faith and hope from wavering (v. 23), and to love and do good works (v. 24). Just as physical food keeps us alive and strong, so also the spiritual nourishment of teaching and fellowship are necessary for our survival. - Dennis De Haan" "For additional study, read 'The Church We Need' at www.discoveryseries.org/q0904" [Taken from "Our Daily Bread", Tuesday, December 16, 2003 RBC Ministries] Blessings to you, Makarios |