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07/28/2005
Where I Needed to Be
"I don't want to go to church! I need time to just sit still and talk to God!" my consciousness thundered inside me as I scanned the intersection ahead for errant or aberrant vehicle behaviors. I quickly considered my options: three blocks from church, two kids in the car with me, looking forward to Wednesday night activities. Guess I was locked in.
So I did my duty. I escorted the girls to their classroom, then meandered across the hall to the prayer and praise service, minutes from making its grand start. Getting comfortable in a chair, I tried to calm my mind, but I had too much going on, too many decisions to make. I needed answers and a quiet place to think, I thought.
Then the song leader got up and welcomed us. "Turn in your hymnal (yes, we still use hymnals - at least on Wednesday night) to hymn number 560 - 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus'.
As the piano played and we sang the familiar words "Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him; How I've proved Him o'er and o'er", I realized - this is where I need to be.
Did I get all my questions answered? Not by a long shot. Did I solve my problems? Give me a break. What I did do was re-connect with the One who would be with me through the unanswered questions, who would give me strength to live life one problem at a time. And that was enough.
Simplistic religion? Maybe. If so, that's what I need. I rather see it as a personal relationship with a living Lord who knows me and loves me as I am. That is enough.
Update:
I am posting an answer to Stephanie's question in the body of the message so I can include some links.
Stephanie:
I guess some of the things I'd look for would be:
Am I accepted as I am, yet encouraged to become more like Christ?
Do they "get it" - do they know the Living God in a vital way and believe that He wants more than anything to be personally involved in the lives of His creation?
Does the church major on the majors (evangelism, prayer, compassionate ministries)?
Are they biblical and conservative in teaching?
Do they have a passion for what they believe?
Do they provide deep biblical teaching?
Are they clear in their doctrinal teachings?
Do they provide an inquirers/new members' class?
What is their purpose?
Do they encourage lay involvement, or do they expect the leadership to do all the work?
Other factors you might consider, depending on your situation and preference, might include children's and/or youth ministries, (do they have them? do they provide adequate safeguards? opportunity for ministry involvement?) and worship style (very much an issue of preference). Are they contemporary or traditional? Do you like a liturgical church or more casual atmosphere?
These are just some suggestions. I hope they help. I would encourage Dan or Scott or Ron or Barbara to chime in with any comments.
14:00 Posted in About Life , Faith | Permalink | Email this
Comments
What are the qualities you should look for in a church? I haven't been to church in years. I grew up in church and it left a bad taste in my mouth and eventually they did throw out the pastor and got new people in there. I don't feel that I have to go to church to be close to God but I do think you need to be around other people that share your love for God, etc.
Posted by: Stephanie | 07/29/2005
Sorry I am coming to this late but I missed the callout on the update. A few things to look for:
Beyond mere acceptance, do they actually like you for you?
Do they like each other?
Do people actively participate in weekly church discipleship events?
Do they have a heart for people outside the church?
Are they hilarious givers or are they tightwads?
Do people in the church defer to each other humbly?
How willing are they to bend over backward to help you AND help you in bending over backward for others?
Do they visit the shut-ins, clothe the naked, feed the poor, and minister to captives?
Are they willing to do the hard thing when the hard thing is needed?
Is the Holy Spirit truly present in their meetings?
Is the pastor humble? Are the people humble?
If God showed up in a big way in their meetings, do you think they would go in the direction He led them or would they blow His leading off?
Do they teach to developing a comprehensive worldview or do they teach to unrelated topics?
What kind of books dominate their church library?
Are the teens in the church able to lead others to Christ? Are the adults able to?
What outside Christian leaders are respected by the average folk in the congregation? By the leaders of the church? Are those good or bad choices?
Those are a few that come to mind that aren't always discussed.
Posted by: DLE | 08/04/2005
Dan:
Thanks for the thoughts. Those are all good things to keep in mind. Choosing a church is an important decision and I'm glad to have the opportunity to be part of the discussion on this.
We received a mailer the other day for a local church I'd never heard of. It was "The Church of U" - or something like that. I don't think we'll bother to look that one up.
Posted by: Bruce L. | 08/04/2005