[gss-content-box color=”blue”]Update November 2013: Since writing this post our family did find and join another church family. We left the church I discussed in the post below after meeting with the head pastor and sharing our concerns and our hearts. We’re grateful that we made the move and we’re also grateful that we took several months to make the decision. [/gss-content-box]
I’m ready to quit church. (Please keep reading before you leave a comment.) It’s very healthy to question things because questioning or challenging beliefs either makes them stronger or exposes their weaknesses. I have lost my faith in my church as it is today. The key part of that sentence was not the first eight words, it was the last four. It’s healthy to get fed up with something. When we get fed up we change. Apathy is the enemy of improvement. If you don’t care then you should worry.
My church is boring. It is safe. It is predictable. It’s not a place where people express doubts or fears or regrets. The problem with my church is that I am my church.
Saying you don’t like your church is like saying you don’t like how dirty your teeth are. You can’t blame anyone else for your own dirty teeth. In the past seven days I’ve read, So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore and Quitting Church. They are challenging me to be the church instead of whining about it. They remind me that I’m responsible for myself first and the church second. They are reminding me that Jesus wants me, not my church attendance scorecard.
If you are fed up with your church experience (or lack of a memorable experience) I encourage you to read those two books in that order. The first is a story; fiction, conversational and beautifully written. The second was written by a reporter and is more analytical but still very easy to read. I didn’t agree with every word of the books but 98% of the content was water to my mind, soul and experience. Both will help you sort through your feelings for your boring church. Maybe you will end up at home next Sunday instead of in a pew. Maybe you’ll end up in your Pastor’s office apologizing for sitting on the sidelines. Maybe you’ll just get angry. Whatever you feel I encourage you embrace your emotions and deal with them. Dealing with your feelings towards your lame church experience is better than going to church out of compulsion and habit. It’s better to feel than to feel nothing.
I’m not quitting yet. Stay tuned.
So do you want to quit church? Why or why not?
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