The New Church?
So I am pretty fed up with the church these days. I don't know about everyone else, but it seems so boring and planned out. Too much routine. We totally put God in a box and say, "You know what Lord, if you want to speak to us you have to do it in this one hour..during these three songs..and now we are only singing the course once, and we will repeat song two but just once...." and so on...it bothers me. It seems like it's the same prayers every week too..."Please be with these requests...and be with us as we go out...be with us as we sit here and listen to your word"....I know that there are so many people who go to church just because it's what you do. And their minds wonder during the sermon because they don't really want to listen to it. And they stand and sing the songs just because they are told to. I hate it. I hate it all. I don't think that is at all what God intended His church to be. So why can't we have a new kind of church? What if we had a church that was open all weekend..and you go whenever you feel like you want to...whenever you can...that sort of thing. What if church wasn't a bunch of people telling you when to sing, when to pray, when to listen...what if you got to pick what you wanted to do to worship the Lord? In my mind I think of it kind of like this...a building that has a coffee bar with snacks...rooms off to the sides where small groups of people could go and discuss whatever is on their hearts...maybe has some speakers in some of the rooms...a stage that has worship going all the time...a room just to go and read if you want..a room to go and pray if you want. and you could pick what you felt you needed to do...just sit and fellowship, worship, pray, listen...whatever you felt would be the best for you to get connected with God that day. And you could stay as long as you wanted...you could come as much as you wanted...then God would not be put in a box so much.
So I am pretty fed up with the church these days. I don't know about everyone else, but it seems so boring and planned out. Too much routine. We totally put God in a box and say, "You know what Lord, if you want to speak to us you have to do it in this one hour..during these three songs..and now we are only singing the course once, and we will repeat song two but just once...." and so on...it bothers me. It seems like it's the same prayers every week too..."Please be with these requests...and be with us as we go out...be with us as we sit here and listen to your word"....I know that there are so many people who go to church just because it's what you do. And their minds wonder during the sermon because they don't really want to listen to it. And they stand and sing the songs just because they are told to. I hate it. I hate it all. I don't think that is at all what God intended His church to be. So why can't we have a new kind of church? What if we had a church that was open all weekend..and you go whenever you feel like you want to...whenever you can...that sort of thing. What if church wasn't a bunch of people telling you when to sing, when to pray, when to listen...what if you got to pick what you wanted to do to worship the Lord? In my mind I think of it kind of like this...a building that has a coffee bar with snacks...rooms off to the sides where small groups of people could go and discuss whatever is on their hearts...maybe has some speakers in some of the rooms...a stage that has worship going all the time...a room just to go and read if you want..a room to go and pray if you want. and you could pick what you felt you needed to do...just sit and fellowship, worship, pray, listen...whatever you felt would be the best for you to get connected with God that day. And you could stay as long as you wanted...you could come as much as you wanted...then God would not be put in a box so much.
posted by Maria Purviance at
11:33 AM
11 Comments:
I think that's why small groups during the week are so important. When we lived downstate, we were involved in one almopst every night of the week. It was the best thing and most spiritually-feeding thing we have ever been apart of. I miss it so desperately.
I love the idea of different areas to go to....I think that type of church would reach many people (coming from the church planting major who don't know too much!)
Start one. I like your thinking.
i agree with kayla 100%. Join the choir even or the praise team, or the drama team or something but mainly a small group. Good advice Kayla!
well, i know small groups are good. but that's not what i am talking about at all. i want the church to change. small groups are an extra thing aside from the church service. i guess the reason i posted this is to see if other people would be interested in the kind of service i am talking about. or do you like the old traditional service?
hmmm wanting an entire church to change is not the goal. Change in yourself and implementing it may be. Do a search on the church's around you, do a little shopping or ask God to bless you with a content heart.
the goal is wanting to change an entire church. why do you think it can't be done? i am not the only one who is tired of the church the way it is. the church i go to is okay..it's church in general is what i am talking about. and it's the "church" nothing more than the believers it makes up. plus, i don't want a content heart. i want a heart that is always seeking more of God...i want a heart that is always wanting to know how to better reach those who don't believe in my God.
a content heart is one that is content with where God is taking them and what GOd is doing with them. Changing the church as a whole should not be anyones goal. Changing the way believers do church one person at a time should be the goal.Then the great reward is eventually a changed church.
what do you mean by changing the way people do church one person at a time? i am just wanting to try and see where you are coming from.
as in the way believers do church now as aposed to how you'd like to see church done. If you can get believers to come along side what you are talking about for the church it will have a chain reaction and eventually change the church as a whole. I think i am having a really hard time saying what i mean. I bow out on this one.
Interesting idea. :) I think in one sense, it would be awesome, in another sense, I think I for one would miss the unity. One of the things I love about church is that everybody sings the same songs, hearing our whole congregation praise the Lord in unison is so powerful. I love being in community and in step with the rest of my church. It energises me, it helps me commune the Jesus, it ushers me into his presense...some times more than others, but it's cool. Anyway- those are my thoughts.
thank you for your thoughts kelly.
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