The Jaded View of Church
Look for a response to some of the comments in this post.
So I found a local church to go to this weekend. I actually heard about it in school. One of the teachers said that the pastor at his church preached in jean shorts and a t-shirt every Sunday. I thought that someone that dressed like this was at least worth listening to at least once.
Well my wife and I went to Crossroads Community Church too see what was up. When we entered the church we were greeted by a few staff and faculty from school that I have met. It is nice that someone said hello, although these people already knew me. This church kind of runs on it’s own time. As long as the service start within about 20 minutes of the predicted start time then they feel they did a good job of being on time.
Sure enough the pastor came up to preach and he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It is not often that I go to a church and realize that I have spent more time looking nice than the pastor has, but I did look more dressed up than the pastor. Rob preached a funny and informative sermon. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the man speak. He seemed to have a very different demeanour about him. Like he just came from coffee with God and was filling us in on the chat he had and the funny things that got said. Honestly it was refreshing to hear and see a pastor that did not fit the typical roll. He really interacted with the church like we were his friends.
At the end of the service a number of people recognized that we had just come for the first time and said hello. This was not the perfunctory hello but they actually asked about our lives. They wanted to know where we lived, and did we have family here. It was great to get that level of conversation and concern out of people.
Now here is where I get jaded. We have gone to churches before where we have been greeted and talked too. The disappointment has come when that is all the interaction that happens. No one checks to see if we are coming out to an event or if we would like to come over for lunch. So we will see what happens. I plan to go again and wait and see.
Struggles with Faith 
Sounds like an interesting church.
What I think is interesting about Christians is how we are waiting for other Christians or for a church to meet our needs, i.e. checking up on us, making sure we’re ok, etc. and that of course should be done when you consider church a family. However, joining a church is not about what the church can do for us but what we can do for the church. Look for a church that preaches the Word but is also in need of servants and then go serve. Serve out of your love and gratitude toward Christ of course, not because it will grant you favor with God. For salvation is a gift of God, not that any of us may boast.
I agree that we need to be involved in the church, and it is not about what the church can do for us but what we can do for the church. The reactions of the church to newcomers can and does give soemone a great idea of the overall culture of the church. As I said I will wait and see what happens as I go.
this is awesome!
your blog was on the wordpress mainpage and here i am!
i definitely believe in looking for a church that’s suitable (both culturally and emotionally i suppose)… giving it a few months and then flooring it! 😉
Of course no church should be a substitute for God… 😉
Hope this goes well 😉
God bless!
lamantik I hope by flooring it you mean getting involved full stop and not leaving the church?
Hi Curtis… stumbled across your blog today and found this post really interesting because I am one of two people at my small church who is responsible for seeing that visitors feel welcome. I struggle with this as I don’t want to seem pushy yet I want visitors to feel welcome to join in the mix. We ask for visitor to fill out an information card but some visitors are a little hesitant to do so. From an outsider’s perspective can you give me any ideas on how to traverse this little obstacle. Hope you this new church of yours turns out well for you and your family.
Many blessings,
Jules
Churches are all inherently flawed. They are run by people, and people are selfish, prideful, arrogant, etc. My wife and I have been to many churches, so when we moved to our new town we just went to the church that was in walking distance. we offered to help – stack chairs serve breakfast, teach Sunday school, run the audio/video equipment, whatever. And we do all of those things. I think it is more than just a coincidence that this church has turned out to be the most warm and loving community we have found. It has all of the same problems that all of the other churches have had, but we don’t have time to notice, because we are busy serving the people.
lol.. gods.. so fabricated
Someone once said, and I paraphrase: “The church is not a museum for the righteous, it’s a hospital for the sick.” In that context, Bryan is right. If we are spending more time looking at our own flaws instead of taking everyone elses inventory, we have then placed ourselves in a position to be of service to God. That is the essential role of the church anyway. Thanks for dropping by AC 180. Don’t be a stranger.
I guess church has a different meaning for everyone. I tend not to look at it as a place for socializing, that’s what I go to the pub for.
Good stuff. You’re not alone. As a youth pastor of a similar church, I understand your place. Many folks come in to our church (middle school) on Sundays and are surprised by the “casual atmosphere” and authentic ministry setting. It is refreshing. At the same time, keep in mind that even “church folks” are human and will always disappoint. Please don’t hold our faults against christendom. I pray that your exprience continues to be positive and that you and your wife will get to experience God for who HE is and not who so many “Christians” make him out to be.
Which GOD ?? Judeo-Christian? I think most of you need to study more anthropology, theism, and dare I say evolution. Get a clue. Read your King James bible. Constructed with select texts by a bunch of white aristocrats. Research the scriptures that were left out. The bible is horrendously sexist, tells its followers they MUST KILL everyone who works on the sabbath, and these hateful things are spread throughout both testaments. Get a freaking clue. You’re not experiencing anything except your own delusions. What a sad little world to live in. Everything seen through a filter that prevents real evolution of mankind.
Get educated, get clued, think for yourselves, cave-people.
[…] to the Jaded View of Church I am writing in response to two comments made, for a previous post, by readers of the blog. The first was by bryan. It […]
Response to the Jaded View of Church « Struggles with Faith said this on October 4, 2007 at 6:26 am |
As I was reading astarwashere’s ridiculous entry my thought was, “Is this person living in a cave.?” if you address only half of any story, you can only see half of the truth. Your story apparently ended with a loud bang. What now? Do I rely on your explanation from some scientific standpoint? It seems as though your world needs no god. Good luck with that, cause if I’m put in charge, everybody’s in big trouble.
You won’t be oppressing me Kurt, nor will any gods, faeries, ghosts, or boogey men.
I’ve heard your story before, give up the idea that you’re unique, and maybe it won’t turn out quite the same as the others. Although history tells all of us that it will.
You’re skirting the issue. You believe in the Judeo Christian god. You believe that the word of god is in the bible, is perfect, and if you are truly devout you will uphold what is prescribed to its followed there. You believe men and women are not equal, and that people who don’t follow your god should be put to death. It’s all in your “holy” bible. Study the history of your beliefs. Your life is a crock based on lies. You indoctrinate your children and support the spreading of lies. There are no gods. You Evil Evil Evil man.
You don’t even make a complete thought when you write. It’s like you’re having an inside conversation with yourself. What the fuck is that?
Furthermore, no I won’t give up the idea that I’m unique you bastard. I can think and feel anything I want to. I practice using my rights and my liberty. You resign yourself to submitting to a series of terrible and violent scriptures that only drive wedges into world peace. You’re a sick sick sicky, and it’s even sicker that you’re provided a haven to hide in and spread your evil. There is blood on you and in your head you think everything is hunky dori because you’ll be ‘exhaulted’ for believing in that crap. You’re a joke. We free thinkers are all about preventing you from spreading your evil. You’re bible also says you must kill all gays. You pick and choose what you want to in your book, but that’s not how it works sicko. It’s good strong minded free thinkers like myself are here to stay. Why don’t you go recite some bible verses and indoctrinate some more children.
Astro.
I don’t know you.
Frankly i don’t ever wish to.
I confess to having held similar beliefs to you, though without the total vehemence you as a ‘free’ thinker (what a joke) are so willing to spurt out at another fellow human being, who i have no doubt you have never met either, but are 100% convinced you ‘know’ exactly who ‘he’ (or she) is and how they ‘think’.
Take a look at your own rantings with a Truly OPEN mind and if you can see a clear REAL difference between them and the people you undoubtedly hate for their inbred ‘stupidity’ i will be amazed.
Instead of accusing people of biases you hold personally, try asking them what they actually DO believe in and why – you may actually LEARN something – something valuable about what being a ‘free’ human really means.
From what i see in your hatred and writing i doubt greatly that you will be capable of that in the slightest.
Its MAN that hates and kills fella! Some do it while falsely claiming it to be God’s will – you seem as if you would be quite happy to just do it in man’s name – or your own. That much hate that clearly exists within you (let me guess where it comes from??) cannot be constrained for long without some blooodshed.
It is truly amazing how supposedly self-professed intelligent human beings are so willing to believe what they choose to believe for themselves based upon their own very limited understandings. Even after 400 years of Renaissance-based ‘enlightenment’ large portions of educated humanity have not yet learned how not to hate or prevent their governments from sending them to war with another bunch of ‘free’ thinkers, or to follow True Christian doctrine of Loving your fellow man.
No Doubt somewhere in your past you have had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting one or more religious members of all-too-fallible humanity that you would define in exactly the same way. That is no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Wake UP to yourself!
[…] I will respond to yet another comment from The Jaded View of Church.This one was given by astarwashere. I don’t plan to respond to the whole thing just some of […]
Men and Women are not Equal?: Biblical Analysis Part 1 « Struggles with Faith said this on October 11, 2007 at 6:55 am |
Sorry Jules, if you are still checking, I missed your comment. I don’t want the card at first, I want someone to invite me over for lunch or out for a coffee or out to an event. I want to go to that event and have people invite me to sit with them. I want to be missed when I am not there. Once I feel like people will care I will happily fill out a card.
No worries… got your reply. I appreciate you letting me know. I haven’t stopped by in a while but plan to catch up on some of your posts soon. blessings, Julian. UU Deist in Texas
[…] with the cultural application of the Bible. It was inspired by a comment from astarwashere on a previous post of […]
Men and Women not Equal?: Biblical Analysis Part 2 « Struggles with Faith said this on October 25, 2007 at 6:33 am |
Is the church you are referring to in Vancouver, WA? Bill Ritchie is the pastor and his son, Jason Ritchie leads worship. If so, I listen to this church on-line. They are awesome!
Shanna