Ramblings and a late answer. . .

So, it was back to work today after a holiday weekend. Ugh. For starters, they changed my schedule on me at work this week so I was actually doing an 8-5 shift instead of my normal 7:30-4, which means rush hour traffic there and back. I don't handle changes--even slight ones--to my schedule very well, so I was pretty testy and impatient all day on the phones, glad to get out of there once the day was over. Thankfully I leave at 4:30 the rest of the week, so maybe I can get a jump on traffic. At least it's only a four-day work week.

Nothing much to do after work. Took a nap, ate some dinner, did my devotions, took a walk and then watched some TV. I'm finding "Scrubs" might be my new favorite sitcom now that "Friends" is off the air ("The Simpsons" doesn't count because anyone in their right mind will tell you it's hands-down the best show ever and therefore out of running.) Looking forward to seeing "Joey" on Thursday but REALLY excited about a new season of "The Apprentice"! Best reality show ever, in my opinion.

So, I wanted to get around to responding to a comment someone had posted on here a few weeks back. I had been talking about the disturbing trend I'm seeing of people in their 20s taking a "break" from church. I wholeheartedly agree that the American Church (and the church in general) is at a crisis point and people have been hurt by the church, but I responded that I don't think that the solution is to jump out of church altogether. We need to be part of a community of believers in order to serve God and help each other grow. There's no such thing as a growing believer who lives in isolation (if you want to read the post, it's somewhere back in August.)

The comment asked what I thought if someone had become very disheartened in church and was just going through the motions and couldn't pay attention to the pastor during the sermons. I think it's a very valid question because of the fact that it probably happens to everyone at one time, even the "strongest" believer. It happened to me a few years ago, which is one of the main reasons I ended up at Cornerstone. So I just want to share my thoughts on that in case this individual is still reading or if anyone else is struggling.

First off, I don't agree with just "going through the motions." Jesus said that we are to worship in Spirit and in Truth and He also rebuked those who worshipped him in traditions and actions but not with their hearts. And I think we all, from time to time, find ourselves just going to church out of obligation. However, I don't think the answer is to leave church because I think it sets ourselves up for a fall. The instant we think we can do better on our own is the first step in the wrong direction. But I do think our attitude of malaise and discontent has to be dealt with.

About three years ago I found myself in a similar situation. I was at a church that, quite honestly, was floundering. There wasn't a lot of honesty in the staff and some issues were brewing there and much of the congregation had fled. So I found myself, at only about 22 years old, leading the college program on Wednesdays and Sundays and doing the sound. And I would come to church and have a rotten mood all Sunday morning and stare at the pastor and wonder why I should listen to this man when he couldn't keep his own staff in line. Many Sundays I wanted just to stay in bed because it had to be better than going to that den of hypocrites. But I knew that I was commanded to not forsake the gathering of the saints and how important it was to be involved in a church. So I prayed and searched to word for direction and had to make a few bold steps.

The first was to check my own heart. Even now I'm at a church I love and yet I find mornings where I don't want to get out of bed and find myself stumbling into the service. But more often than not, it's my own heart attitude that is causing my thoughts to stumble. At my old church it was often my pride that I could do things better or that I knew better than some of the people over me. And I had to get many of those issues in check and realize that when I came to church I wasn't coming to hang out with friends, sing a few songs, or look like a good Christian. I was coming to worship and I had to make sure nothing was getting in the way of that.

When I had dealt with the heart issues, I found that I still wasn't being fed and I was still going to church and just going through the motions. That's when I think it's time to start thinking about whether or not you are to stay at the church you're at. While I feel it is EXTREMELY important to stay in church and EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to withdraw from church, I don't believe we are necessarilly called to the same congregation for our entire lives. God brings different people into our lives at different points because only He knows our true needs. I was at my old church for 10 years and God used many people there to help me grow spiritually and strengthen my walk. But after awhile, I found that I had grown stagnant and my Sundays weren't filled with worship.

So I decided to seek counsel from men I trusted who were unbiased. And thankfully they led me only to the Word. I thank God for a certain man in particular who met me at Denny's one night and led me through Scriptures that showed the markings of a healthy church and how a pastor was supposed to be. I had friends who prayed for me and I spent a lot of time in prayer. I had to consider leaving a church where my closest friends were. Many of my friends were either on staff or family members of the staff and I knew I would be possibly sacrificing close ties if I left. However, I knew that it was more important for me to be in a place where I could grow and I decided, after careful prayer and study, that it was time to move on.

I'm thankful that I did. God led me to a church that has met me where I am and challenged me spiritually. I have grown immensely since coming to Cornerstone. While I have seen friendships suffer from my old church, they have been replaced by new friendships that I am extremely thankful for and couldn't be without. Will I be there forever? I don't know. That's up to God. I don't know where He wants to take me in the coming years. But for now I'm very happy where I am.

The key, though, is that I don't think it's a safe thing to leave church. But I think sometimes God does put moments of discontent in our hearts to prompt us to head where we need to be. And I think it's so important to pray, study the word, and seek good counsel when making that decision. And also, I always caution to never expect a perfect church. Every church is full of humans and every human being lets someone down at one time.

Hope this helps, if you're still reading :-)

C-Dubbs