I've been getting a bit...annoyed, I guess, lately, at the way people have been discussing church. The way people talk, the sign of being a good christian is to go to church, and not going to a church means something is wrong. This is crap. Not to say we shouldn't go to church, but the problem I see is that the modern day church, with a few exceptions, is not what it was in the beginning, and doesn't exactly fulfil what the church of the bible is all about. As Keith Green once said, "Going to church doesn't make you a christian any more than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger."
The first problem I have is that the churches we go to don't have all that much fellowship, and that's really the whole point of gathering christians together. We are to uplift each other, and strengthen one another in the faith. Going and hearing a sermon once or twice a week isn't really all that hepful in us strengthening one another or helping to love God more. Sure, there may be an important lesson to learn, but I think a lot of the problem anymore is that church is about the lesson. Don't get me wrong, that's one of the reasons I have been going to my church the last few months now, is because I'm truly learning more about the Bible every week. But I get more fellowship during my bible studies. We connect more with each other, and in my guy's group, we actually help each other deal with important things. It's a band of brothers, and that's what it should be.
I've lost a good number of thoughts, so I can't remember where I was headed, which is annoying, because my point is incomplete and easily argued without everything else to help quantify my thoughts. Grumble grumble.
The first problem I have is that the churches we go to don't have all that much fellowship, and that's really the whole point of gathering christians together. We are to uplift each other, and strengthen one another in the faith. Going and hearing a sermon once or twice a week isn't really all that hepful in us strengthening one another or helping to love God more. Sure, there may be an important lesson to learn, but I think a lot of the problem anymore is that church is about the lesson. Don't get me wrong, that's one of the reasons I have been going to my church the last few months now, is because I'm truly learning more about the Bible every week. But I get more fellowship during my bible studies. We connect more with each other, and in my guy's group, we actually help each other deal with important things. It's a band of brothers, and that's what it should be.
I've lost a good number of thoughts, so I can't remember where I was headed, which is annoying, because my point is incomplete and easily argued without everything else to help quantify my thoughts. Grumble grumble.