As a Christian, you don't go to church?
By pooksywooksy
@pooksywooksy (1006)
Indonesia
January 20, 2007 10:00am CST
My fellow friends in Christ, have you ever been in a position where your other fellow Christian ask you this question:
,"You admit that you are a Christian, but then you don't go to church?!"I am not here to find out whether if you go to church or not as a Christian. Nor to judge you when you are a Christian and you don't go to church.
I simply want to tell you my story, in a hope that it would encourage all of us to go back to the church.
And like all the good story begins; once upon a time long ago, a good Christian friend of mine (very much Church goers) came to me with that big question.
Maybe it won't effect anybody who is seldom or rarely go to church (i.e Christmas, New Year, Baptism, or occasionally come to church).
But as for me, it did really bother a bit.
I could come up with lots or even tons of lame excuses not to go to church.
However, when I remember that JESUS is there in the church, it motivates me again to go back to church.
How about you, what motivates you to go back to church?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@sammantha (278)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I an a Chritian but I dont go to chruch like I should since the chruched I used to got to moved acroos town it is hard to get there. I dont drive so I have to walk where I want to get to.I am trying to find a good chruch thats closed to my home.
1 person likes this
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
2 Mar 07
You could also try to find some of your friends who are long to go to church as well; for when there is no church close by, you guys can always praise and worship HIM together on Sunday, perhabs?!
I believe we are all God's church anyhow.
Nevertheless, I wish you all the best in finding the church close by your home, my friend.
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
5 Mar 07
O blessed you sammantha, that's indeed the miracle of GOD. A life testimony. I'm so happy knowing that you experienced His love just like everyone of us. He is indeed awesome.
@sammantha (278)
• United States
5 Mar 07
I thank you I do prasie the Lord for all he has do in my life.When the doctors said no.God said yes.I was told that I will never have kids and now I have two wonderful kids of my own and a step-daughter.
@mamatika (225)
• Australia
21 Jan 07
I used to go to church every sunday, went to Bible study every saturday night, but not anymore.
There is so many chruch now i found under politic need. so I tell my self not to go to church any more.
I still read bible, and daily blessing story from the internet hehehe.For me fainding Jesus is not only in church, I can faind HIM any where i Need and look for him in my daly live.
1 person likes this
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
22 Jan 07
It's true mamatika. I fully agree with you that finding Jesus not only in the church. Best of all He is in our heart. Whenever I go to church, I find it so soothing. Being with the rest of the people who also have Jesus in their heart and praising HIM together, such a joy that words can not describe. Thanks for your response, mamatika. God bless us all, shalom. Again, welcome to myLot and enjoy your staying here. Keep up posting and make some discussions.
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
23 Jan 07
You're most welcome, mamatika. Jesus loves us all. Thank you for your response.
@weemam (13372)
•
28 Feb 07
I don't need motivation , I am on the board of our church and my son is an elder , we enjoy going to church but to be honest I think it's a personal choice , I do believe though that some people would like to but just cant , I think as long as they believe in God , the will be fine for them , God Bless xx
1 person likes this
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
28 Feb 07
Yes it's quite true that going to church is one's personal choice. Sometimes encouragement also needed to go back to church. Because it is very easy to be just there at home and give an excuse of tired or still sleepy for not going to church. lol GBU
@eu_ursuletzu (1197)
• Romania
5 Feb 07
well...i am a christian to but i dont go to curch very often...
i would like to go much more to curch but i am very lazy and in every sunday morning when i want to go to the curch it comes something and i dont go.
i have no excuses not to go,i know!
i dont have a car yet,but i was thinking very many times that the end of the year,when my mom will byu a car for me,i will deffinetly go t curch every sunday.and if i will tell you that the curch in in the center of my town,and i live like..at 20 minuts of walking from the curch you will say im nuts....
well..this is it..i am very lazy...
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
7 Feb 07
I tried to go as much as I possible could. Though, when I couldn't wake up early on the Sunday, I would have missed the church.
O well..
You're being honest, eu_ursuletzu, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
@not4me (1711)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Besides from all of that scientific stuff I look towards for answers, this is one of the things that made my transition to being Atheist very easy.
I was raised Roman Catholic and while I never felt bonded with the church or the religion I hated the posers who judged others on whether or not they are "good Christians" just because they attend church. It backs up my claim that religion was created by conformists and individuals who are too scared to believe in something against the grain as they fear others wouldn't accept them as being good people. Remember what happened to the "witches" in Salem? People were afraid of the unknown/strange and conformed in a negative way.
What if there is no heaven and no hell and Christianity was just mythology (yes I know Jesus was a real person - I mean all the mystical stuff) and you wasted so much time and energy throughout your life on something that wasn't real. What would you have done on your Sundays? Go somewhere new with your family? Have a date day with your significant other? Read to your children once again? Judge one less person for not conforming to your beliefs? (not you personally).
Religion gives people false hope and causes strife such as you mentioned and wars world-wide. Sorry for stepping on this soapbox but I don't think people who judge others for not going to church are bad Christians in and of themselves. I was just trying to get you to see where my opinions are coming from. How can I as an Atheist not look down on others for being religious yet Christians all over the United States look down on their own church-buddies and like-minded people? IMHO something is wrong with that.
1 person likes this
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
20 Jan 07
Nice response, not4me.
I find out a bit hard to get your point. Bare with me for a while (pardon my slowness in digesting things. LOL).
I assume that what you are trying to say is that Christians look down on other Christians?!
I don't see a friend of mine asking me that question because he/she would try to look down on me. And being honest, I thanked my friend for he/she was reminding me about how I love being surrounded with others who love JESUS as well. As simple as that.:)
Again, thank you for your response.
@not4me (1711)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I was jumping around a lot and I'm sorry for that. I had tons of thoughts flowing through my head lol (and I still do). Not all Christians are like this but the hard-core ones tend to be and from my past experience, older Catholic women are the worst.
She might have been a helpful friend with no pretenses and if that's the case that's great! And if you are comfortable and feel fulfilled in being a stereotypical good Christian that that's great too - whatever makes you truly happy is best. I just think many of these people are passive-aggressive about religion and that makes me uncomfortable. I disliked people who tried to make me, actually my mom feel bad for missing a Sunday or too. I think they were in it for the wrong reasons.
Ultimately I feel for people who place all of their mind, body and soul into their religion, meaning those who take responsibility away from themselves and place it all on praying or religion instead of being proactive in their life and trying to make changes on their own. Again I'm sorry that this didn't stay on topic with your post. As you can probably tell I can go on and on. I'm really not trying to dis Christians or any other religion for that matter. I just like to see people with an open mind and even stick up for themselves.
So anyway, thanks for marking me with the best answer even though I didn't really jive with your point of view. If you have any more questions, like if I didn't clarify something you asked about please feel free to let me know and I will try again. :)
1 person likes this
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
21 Jan 07
Hi not4me,
Yes I could relate to your mom's feeling, of how bad she must have felt when we've been reminded of not going to church.:)
And it is also quite true of what you are saying that most of the Catholic women are very much into church goer.
It's hard for me to explain that when I go to church, I don't go there just because I simply try to practise my religion or what I believe. I go there because I know Jesus is also there with the rest of the people who loves Him too.
Thank you for taking your time to response to my topic discussion. I appreciate it.
@maribea (2366)
• Italy
28 Feb 07
i believe in Christ's message, too and I am a Catholic...I go to church every time I can and every time I feel I need it...the fact is that I don't always agree with what the official CHURCH says or prescribes but I think that men can be imperfect but the message remains the same....I go to church when I want to meet Jesus...I mean if you have a friend, you want to see him, to listen from him or her and so on...therefore I go to church when I want to listen to His words, when I want to pray with other people, when I want to sing for HIm and for all the people in the world...this is my inner motivation...on the other hand, I think I can meet Jesus in every man and woman I encounter...I think I can meet Him i my everyday life...therefore I like thinking about things happening to me...and I try to do all my best...because I think that faith is something we have in our heart but that we show in our actions!!
@pooksywooksy (1006)
• Indonesia
28 Feb 07
Well thought, maribea. I couldn't agree more. Very true indeed, my friend. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
@friendship (2084)
• Canada
10 Jun 07
As a Christian, I don't think we have to go to Church in order to meet or to pray to God. It is not a requirement that we have to go to Church in order to communicate with God. Because God can be found everywhere. He will be there whenever and whereever we need Him. The Bible also mentions about this.
Matthew 6:5
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
Matthew 6:6
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you".
Matthew 6:7
"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words".
However, I often go to the Church but it is occassionally when I would like to get closer to God so that He knows that I am very serious in finding Him or in communicating with Him.
@Bujoyseth (1684)
• Philippines
2 Jun 07
oops.. you got me there! i'm a christian and i never go to church.. why? it's because it's not only in the church you'll find Jesus but you can find Him anywhere.. you can be thankful and praise Him in anyway and anywhere.. you can do it at home, before you go to bed... you can talk to Him all the time you want to...
