Christian, do you ever feel this way?

[dawny0826]

I posted this in another thread but I'm curious if anyone else ever feels this way.

Currently, I'm not a member of a church and am not affiliating myself with any particular religious denomination.

I have issues with organized religion. I'm a very spiritual person and I do believe that there are significant benefits to praise and worship in groups but I find it hard to root myself in a church.

I find that I'm more at peace when I simply live my life in love, as instructed...without adding traditions and sermons to the mix. Sometimes, just clinging to Christ...believing and doing the best I can each day feels more real...more solid than going through this phoney show at church.

I feel more honest with my God when I worship on my own.

That seems really awful, doesn't it? But it's the truth.

 

[blackout]

That was how I spent my last three years as a christian.

I got incomparably more out of those three years, personally,
than I did out of the ten years I spent in church/organized christianity.

 

[Dunemeister]

To remain outside Christian community is to reject the community into which you have been saved. Since God saved you out of the world and into the church, that's tantamount to rejecting the gracious work of God. That's not to say that you're not a Christian; it's only to warn of the danger that lies ahead along this road. God does not intend for you to remain in isolation. No doubt churches can do more to foster a sense of community and belonging, especially among certain groups. University-aged persons come to mind, as do unmarried persons in their thirties who are often unintentionally made to feel a bit like freaks.

I'd also like to point out that worship (traditions and sermons) is not an adjunct to human existence. It's at the heart of what it means to be human. (It's worth pointing out that the sermon represents less than one-third of a typical worship service unless you belong to a charismatic church, in which case it's better than half.) The Holy Spirit's primary desire is to honor and praise the Father through Jesus. If the Holy Spirit resides in you, then you share that desire at some level. If you don't share that desire at all, if you're truly indifferent to worship in the sense that you really don't even want to praise God in community with his saints, then it's well worth asking the question whether the Holy Spirit abides in you and whether that possibility bothers you.

 

[Father Heathen]

To remain outside Christian community is to reject the community into which you have been saved. Since God saved you out of the world and into the church, that's tantamount to rejecting the gracious work of God. That's not to say that you're not a Christian; it's only to warn of the danger that lies ahead along this road. God does not intend for you to remain in isolation. No doubt churches can do more to foster a sense of community and belonging, especially among certain groups. University-aged persons come to mind, as do unmarried persons in their thirties who are often unintentionally made to feel a bit like freaks.

I'd also like to point out that worship (traditions and sermons) is not an adjunct to human existence. It's at the heart of what it means to be human. (It's worth pointing out that the sermon represents less than one-third of a typical worship service unless you belong to a charismatic church, in which case it's better than half.) The Holy Spirit's primary desire is to honor and praise the Father through Jesus. If the Holy Spirit resides in you, then you share that desire at some level. If you don't share that desire at all, if you're truly indifferent to worship in the sense that you really don't even want to praise God in community with his saints, then it's well worth asking the question whether the Holy Spirit abides in you and whether that possibility bothers you.

So being a Christian requires you to have others dictate your relationship with Christ?

 

[Scott1]

I find that I'm more at peace when I simply live my life in love, as instructed...without adding traditions and sermons to the mix. Sometimes, just clinging to Christ...believing and doing the best I can each day feels more real...more solid than going through this phoney show at church.

I feel more honest with my God when I worship on my own.

That seems really awful, doesn't it? But it's the truth.

I don't think that is awful at all... it actually sounds pretty great.

I would hope that you are able to be part of the community in other ways... possibly contributing to a charitable event put on by the church or something like that... it's not good to be TOTALLY alone in your faith, but pray and follow your conscience.

You can be an official member of my church.... the First Church of RF.

Your friend in Christ,
Scott



Just send me some money...kidding!

 

[blackout]

if you're truly indifferent to worship in the sense that you really don't even want to praise God in community with his saints, then it's well worth asking the question whether the Holy Spirit abides in you and whether that possibility bothers you.

....

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Yeah, dawn, I'm just about where you are... but it's slightly different.

I've been in ministry and invovlved in every aspect of church life for years, and after that I don't want to ever go to church again.

It's less "sermons and tradition" than going around pointlessly in circles.

 

[Heneni]

You, are the walking church. You dont go to church...you are the church.

 

[DallasApple]

You, are the walking church. You dont go to church...you are the church.

This is how I feel...The church is each and every one of us..The church is the people.

Love

Dallas

 

[angellous_evangellous]

You, are the walking church. You dont go to church...you are the church.

Whoot!

Dang I love my church!:yes::clap

 

[Dunemeister]

So being a Christian requires you to have others dictate your relationship with Christ?

It means that God saves people into a community of redeeming love. For all its foibles, the church is a necessary ingredient to Christian spirituality and true holiness. As the author of the epistle to the Hebrews put it:

Therefore, my friends,* since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews:19-25

Corporate worship is where we "provoke one another to love and good deeds." It is motivated by our confidence to "enter the sanctuary" of God because of our "great high priest" (Jesus). Failure to worship corporately and participate with the church in its great duty and privilege, demonstrates a lack of confidence. But that confidence cannot (indeed will not) be restored by remaining aloof.

To answer the OP more directly, yes I have felt the same. But as strange as it may sound, the same church that disappoints is also the vehicle through which God exerts his covenant faithfulness to the world. In other words, it's the vehicle of hope for vibrant life on earth. So I urge dawny and all others who feel similarly to find their way back and not be satisfied with lonely Christianity. For that lonely Christianity will erode to none; and much better is in store.

 

[Charity]

I have gone through many times when I grow discouraged with attending the church. ( a building by the way that is dedicated to the worship of God) I also feel like it is not the building itself but "I" who is the temple of Christ. The politics and the fight for power within some of the churches is ridiculous, but it happens, right there in the church for all the world to see.
There are many scriptures that tell us "not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together", and that there is strength where 2 or 3 are gathered and that Jesus will be there in the midst. I believe these things to be true, and I enjoy the fellowship of other people in the church. I go because I desire to go not because someone says I have to........But if it ever gets to be more of a burden than a blessing I will probably dwell in my own personal church that is within me.

 

[blackout]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Heneni
You, are the walking church. You dont go to church...you are the church.

This is how I feel...The church is each and every one of us..The church is the people.

Love

Dallas

Thank you.

I wish I had known anyone in "real life"
who felt this way when I was still a christian.

It was lonely. Church walls seperated me from everybody.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

I posted this in another thread but I'm curious if anyone else ever feels this way.

Currently, I'm not a member of a church and am not affiliating myself with any particular religious denomination.

I have issues with organized religion. I'm a very spiritual person and I do believe that there are significant benefits to praise and worship in groups but I find it hard to root myself in a church.

I find that I'm more at peace when I simply live my life in love, as instructed...without adding traditions and sermons to the mix. Sometimes, just clinging to Christ...believing and doing the best I can each day feels more real...more solid than going through this phoney show at church.

I feel more honest with my God when I worship on my own.

That seems really awful, doesn't it? But it's the truth.

I don't go to church either. I fined RF to be a great place to fellowship with believers and non-believers.

 

[DallasApple]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Heneni
You, are the walking church. You dont go to church...you are the church.



Thank you.

I wish I had known anyone in "real life"
who felt this way when I was still a christian.

It was lonely. Church walls seperated me from everybody.

Im sorry that happened to you.. :sad4:.You are definately not alone..

Love

Dallas

 

[blackout]

LOL. It's nothing to cry about really.

My notion of what Christ was about ran contrary to the whole church thing.
One day I finally woke up and realized that my understanding of the Christ
made me NOT a christian (by any remotely "mainstream" standards).

And once I stopped trying to contort myself into something that just didn't fit me,
I felt SO SO much better.

I just REALLY hate it when people tell other people how they have to "define" their life,
in order to "properly" be one thing or another.
The understanding/interpretation of their religion, of the world, of the Spirit of God,
of their own self.

I HATE it when people invalidate others for seeing life their OWN way.
(saying "you're not this or that, if you don't this or that")

It's arrogant and ignorant and obnoxious.

IM not so HO.

 

[Master Vigil]

Spirituality is like anything else in that it needs a good strong foundation. In martial arts, that is basics: stance, balance, low block, front kick, etc... But it is also tradition. I go to tournaments and see Bassai Dae (a form) performed 5 million different ways. Which is ok to a point. Each move has to have a purpose, and ALOT of the different ways have no purpose in their movements. One must have a good solid tradition so to keep the purpose in the movements.

I feel it is the same for spirituality. Tradition is very important because we cannot know exactly what it was like to be with Jesus, or Budda, or any other spiritual figure. We need good tradition to pass down the knowledge to us. If we just try to go at it alone, we are building our spirituality on sand not stone. That isn't to say that we cannot be alone in our faith, there are MANY hermitages that are built upon this very idea of seclusion. But they cannot leave the tradition of their faith. For if they do, they will start to do what "They" want to do, and forget what needs to be done.

Does that make any sense? I just woke up.

 

[blackout]

It makes sense if there is some tradition you are WANTING to follow.

Not all of us are real big on tradition.

As a musician, I follow no tradition.
I have gleaned much from masters of all different styles,
who have preceeded me...
and through them I have LEARNED HOW MUSIC WORKS.

Music itself is now my teacher.

I am free to play there in whatever way I want.
And that is exactly how I like it.

Music has become my sole foundation,
where men (musicians) were before.

 

[Master Vigil]

I find no music outside the boundaries of tradition. And the music that does deny tradition sounds horrible. And I have heard some of your music, and I believe you rely much on tradition. You are subject to note lengths, tones, augmentation, scale, etc... There is that saying that "nothing is new" just a twist on something old. It is an evolution, and that evolution is tradition. Just as martial arts must rely on the natural way the body moves, and the practical application of that natural movement in regards to manipulation... so does music rely on the scale and notes on which rest in the scale. One can change what makes the sound of the note, but not the note itself.

 

[leahrachelle]

I absolutely feel the same way
And also, I cannot find a denomination that I agree with everything with.