| Hmmm...
Rachel at CEBC today got me considering changing churches. Before, I had just dismissed the idea because although there are many things I don't like about FBC, it is my church; it's where I'm comfortable. I know everyone there, and they know me. Some of them have even invested in me financially. How could I abandon them?
But, God does call people to change churches (was her suggestion). I mentioned to Rachel something about how I didn't want to leave the people at my "home church", and she said that she still has friends at her "home church". And just the phrase "home church", implies that people do change churches, and it's OK. After all, what is church? "the people, not the building," right?
I thought before that liking CEBC more than FBC just because I have more friends now at the former than I do at the latter was selfish. I've heard before that it's not about what your church offers you but what you can offer your church. But again, what is church?
Rachel mentioned that God might be using those sort of feelings to speak to me, which now seems very possible. I mean, would God want me to stick around somewhere where I don't feel as accepted and to not go somewhere where I feel more so? Isn't that what church is about? Being a part of a bigger group to sharpen each other "as iron sharpens iron"?
I had planned on looking for a church in or near Shawnee in the fall anyway, but now I'm thinking, why wait?
If feelings are God's voice then I could easily say to the FBCites that I'm being called to change churches, but that still leaves a question. And, yes, I'm sure most members of my potential audience would simply follow their feelings, but I'm not that sort of person. I don't trust feelings completely. I must make decisions based on logic, and what I believe to be God's Will. --but that's a personality issue and off topic.
Another thing is that I don't believe going to CEBC over FBC will lessen very many of the things I don't like about church that I've put up with for years.
Things I don't like about my present experience of church that are possibly offensive but not intended to offend:
- the shallowness (the opposite of real-ness) - if you've ever wanted to describe someone as "fake" you know what I mean. Yaigh Holden Cauffield!
- the shadiness - call me a conspiracy theorist, but it seems like so much goes on in church that's overlooked and never addressed simply so people won't be offended
- the pastor - I won't get into it, and I don't want this to get back to him, but even though most of FBC adores him, I honestly don't respect my pastor as a pastor for various reasons, mostly personal, of course.
- various doctrine - I've long disagreed with the SBC and thus my own church and likely CEBC on some of their most intrinsic doctrine, but again, I won't get into it.
- the emphases - This goes along with the docrinal stuff, but I believe that some of the issues they emphasize are not as important and some of the things they barely mention are more important. (Let's have a vague party!)
I'm pretty sure CEBC has all of this: maybe more, maybe less. I just wish I could find my ideal church.
My friend Marquita wrote this paragraph a while ago (Yes, I know I'm odd, but I copied it to my computer because it seemed so true to my own thoughts. I'll add in my comments with "[" and "]" ):
"I hate the cattiness and politics that are involved in church. [I haven't dealt with this so much, but I know it exists.] And it sucks to know that there is no church on earth that is perfect, just, and void of judgement [yep...], but I would love to find a church where I could just be myself. Where I could find people like me. [I always feel free to be myself, but I think everyone prefers to be around people with similar beliefs and interests.] Where I could be encouraged to be closer to Christ and not have to worry about who is talking about what I am wearing to church. [not huge for me either] Where we don't have cliques that fight over whose son gets to be in the church play, etc. Where we ostricize people of different lifestyles and encourage them to attend because we do not want to keep the good news away from them because they deserve as much as any other. [I know! How inconsistant!] Where we are not so caught up in what other people are doing and the whole world's sins but we are concerned about our own soul. [Amen!] Where we dont have gossip meetings disguised as prayer meetings. [Again, I haven't run into this that I'm aware of, but I know it exists some places.] And where the sermon is more of a way to help people understand the Word of God rather than be a pulpit for a particular political view. [I know! I've said before that I think preachers should derive topics from biblical texts rather than preach on a subject and throw in a few verses to back them up.] Where sunday school isn't a repetative condescending lecture that has lasted for 17 years of ones life. [So true. I can't remember the last time I learned something new in Sunday School. Isn't there something wrong with that?]"
So, I know no church is perfect, but it seems that that's not an excuse to not try to find the place where God wants you to be. Don't you think God would want me, and everyone, to be in a church, that is real, honest, true to the original doctrine of the apostles, and with proper emphasis? Christians have said for a while that a revival is at hand, but if it's going to be a revival that creates more churches that are like the ones we have now, I don't want it to happen. In Purple school, they told us to dream of being a part of something so big that only God can do it. That's my dream. A revival that produces churches with my above criteria. With my vagueness of this post and without my personal convictions, you can't really get an image as glorious as I envision, but oh well, if you really care, and if you've read this far, and if you're confused and curious, talk to me later and ask me to fill in the details.
Well, it looks like I've gone off on a tangent. Thanks Rachel, I needed that. (I'm not being sarcastic either. It's nice to express myself in writing every once in a while and touch on controversial subjects.) Despite the length of the post, my decision really isn't a major one. Going to Falls Creek with both churches back-to-back will probably be enlightening, and of course the thing I need to do is go to God about it, because only He knows His Will. Duh. Let me know what you think. |
Grinch
