Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Is Sunday Your Favorite Day?
Lately, Sunday hasn't been my favorite day. If I were totally honest, it hasn't been for a while. I am in a transitional period in my spiritual walk and lately my weaknesses seem to be my strengths. If that doesn't make sense, then I'll try and confuse you even more. Christians, as I was instructed growing up, live for Sunday. We get to go to church. We get to sing and pray. We get to take the Lord's supper. We have the opportunity to confess sin after the singing of the invitation song. This ritual done week after week has become more of a habit than a desire for me. I am trying to figure out why. I should long for this special meeting time. I should cherish the scheduled opportunity to worship God and his son with others like me. I do sometimes, but lately, I confess, the enriching experiences are far and few between. I am trying to figure out why. I get tired of "dressing up" for church and seeing others do the same. That suit I wear is not who I am! As a matte of fact, it masks who I am. I get tired of an usher helping me to a seat. Not because he isn't helpful; its just too formal. Is this what Christ had in mind for fellowship when he stared the church? I don't like buzzers going off telling us its time to hustle to our classes where the focus there is much like what I sat through in the auditorium; the pulpit, the teacher. These are and can be good things. Are they the best things? I told a brother last week that Wednesday nights at another congregation I have been attending have been the highlight of my week; more that Sunday! Blasphemy, right? I want my link-up to the Lord to be longer and deeper than a couple of hours on Sunday and Wednesday. Sunday should really serve as a period of remembrance. A time to ask myself "How was my walk last week, and how can I improve on it this week?" Sunday can be my favorite day if I choose it to be. If you have similar experiences, share them. What makes your First Day of the Week the best day of the week?
Searching,
KR ¶ 2:33 PM
Searching,
KR ¶ 2:33 PM
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Been there, done that........doing that still at times. I can't help but wonder sometimes if our rituals have caused us to be similar to the crowd Jesus addressed when he said "they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me". I want to be with brothers and sisters who love the Lord.........end of story. I don't want to be with people who are there out of a sense of duty or to get their card punched. I want to be with folks who aren't time conscience, knowing that time is the most precious gift you can give anybody, including the Lord. If Sunday morning is what it's all about, I want to find another crowd. I want Shepherds who have vision. I want to be with people who want to be transformed, and not with people who think they have already arrived......and hold all truth.
Keep bringin it, bro!
DU
Keep bringin it, bro!
DU
For a long time now, my favorite part of Sunday has been the Sunday school class, which is taught by some very smart people. I believe one of my "spiritual pathways" is the life of the mind, so when I am challenged intellectually, I feel energized. Too often I feel like I have to turn off my brain when I walk into the main auditorium for "dumbed down" worship. I'm not sure what to do about that.
But, when I posted about some of my frustrations with church a few weeks ago, someone shared some good advice with me:
Get out of church. Go serve. Spend some time with those Jesus calls us to love (the poor, the sick, the outcast), and experience "true religion." Perhaps we all need a little spiritual realignment once in a while.
Further up and further in,
gkb
But, when I posted about some of my frustrations with church a few weeks ago, someone shared some good advice with me:
Get out of church. Go serve. Spend some time with those Jesus calls us to love (the poor, the sick, the outcast), and experience "true religion." Perhaps we all need a little spiritual realignment once in a while.
Further up and further in,
gkb
KR, I think we all go through times like what you've described. Maybe the angst comes from a deep perception that worship isn't necessarily supposed to be many of the things we've made it: formal, comfortable, introspective, showy ... the list goes on as long as you want it to.
I second Greg's suggestion. Find God where He is, where He wants you to be. Then come back and praise Him for all you're worth ... because He's made you more grateful, more worthy through the things He has done through you.
How can you give God glory if you can't see His glory working in your life and the lives of others around you?
And by the way - WE'VE MISSED YOU BLOGGING!
I second Greg's suggestion. Find God where He is, where He wants you to be. Then come back and praise Him for all you're worth ... because He's made you more grateful, more worthy through the things He has done through you.
How can you give God glory if you can't see His glory working in your life and the lives of others around you?
And by the way - WE'VE MISSED YOU BLOGGING!
Sundays are a duty to me, but not an onerous one. Yes, I am a minister and do a lof speaking at church but I am not a people-person and enjoy privacy too much to thrill to the crowd! It matters, though, which crowd you are in. Our congregation is very large but MUCH less formal than most. They are more accepting and spontaneous than most, too. Not everybody can move to a different congregation... but everyone can find a place to love, serve, etc. even if not on Sundays. And, perhaps, you could find others like you and start a smaller, more targeted and responsive group of believers. In the meantime, those of us who are "Isaacs" (see one of my earlier blogs) are with you and are praying for you.
Thanks for the encouragement guys. Patrick, I read your "Isaac" blog and it blew me away. Many of us seem to hold pulpit ministers to a higher, different standard and think they are always "in their element." Thanks for sharing. I was going to say, "look forward to seeing you in Pepperdine, but I guess that wouldn't be appropriate!!Ha!
Keith
Keith
I have no intention of making light of your perception, KR, but a second reading suddenly reminded me of the very funny book Are You Going To Church More But Enjoying It Less? by Gary Freeman. I'd send it to you, but I loaned out my copy years ago and never got it back.
As I recall, Freeman was writing from the point of view of an advertising agent working for a church (which is pretty much what I am these days), and coming up with mottoes like the title.
Now that I work in a church, I realize more than ever that all of my brothers and sisters there are broken people - it's just that some don't realize it - but the ones who do seem to worship with all their hearts on Sunday because they've been doing it 24/6 before and after.
Now to the question that none of us really answered: What makes my First Day of the Week the best day of the week?
Being together with the fellow-broken. Buzzers or no, suit or not, ushered or un-ushered. Seeing the effect of the ones who realize they're broken on the ones who don't realize they're broken. Watching Jesus slowly "fix" a few of them through their brothers and sisters. Hearing the Word read and a new insight shared. Not getting to sing the songs I like most because other songs speak more eloquently to others' needs.
That's just a short list, bro.
Keep searching!
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As I recall, Freeman was writing from the point of view of an advertising agent working for a church (which is pretty much what I am these days), and coming up with mottoes like the title.
Now that I work in a church, I realize more than ever that all of my brothers and sisters there are broken people - it's just that some don't realize it - but the ones who do seem to worship with all their hearts on Sunday because they've been doing it 24/6 before and after.
Now to the question that none of us really answered: What makes my First Day of the Week the best day of the week?
Being together with the fellow-broken. Buzzers or no, suit or not, ushered or un-ushered. Seeing the effect of the ones who realize they're broken on the ones who don't realize they're broken. Watching Jesus slowly "fix" a few of them through their brothers and sisters. Hearing the Word read and a new insight shared. Not getting to sing the songs I like most because other songs speak more eloquently to others' needs.
That's just a short list, bro.
Keep searching!
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