A lengthy post that's been many years coming, but I hope it will encourage someone.
Rob and I both grew up in homes where we did church. Every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Wednesday night, every time the doors were open, we were there. We continued that pattern with our own family for several years. We served in youth ministry, taught Sunday School, led small groups, etc, etc, etc. Every time the doors were open, we were there, and so were our kids.
After 15 years of that, I'm pretty sure the appropriate word for our feelings was "burnt out."
Our move to Tyler, and the search for a new church home gave us the chance to step away from all those commitments for a while. These last couple years, we've really been re-evaluating all the "busy-ness" of church life, and whether or not we're going to continue doing things that way. Is all of it really necessary, or are we just doing it because it's what people do? Are we truly doing all this for Jesus, or just because it's what we've always done? With three children, and an ever-growing list of activities and to-do’s, we did not want church to simply be one more thing on the list. And if we’re going to do church, WHY?
While we still don't know what exactly all that is supposed to look like, here's some things we've learned in the process:
1) Jesus > church. Jesus places a much higher value on relationships than just the activities of religion. And just going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going into a garage makes you a car. Jesus Christ is the one who saves, redeems, restores, heals, forgives, and loves perfectly and wholly. We must seek HIM above and before all else.
2) Jesus loves His church, and His people should too. He refers to the church as the bride of Christ. He both cherishes and commissions the church with his love and his power to do his work. When we become disenfranchised regarding the church to the point where we are indifferent or even bitter towards it, we have some heart work to do.
3) We need the community of the church. Spiritual growth will not take place apart from community. The accountability, correction, encouragement, and support that the body of Christ provides in small groups is irreplaceable. We need to know when we’re struggling that we’re not alone in the struggle. We need to hear stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of others, and to share the stories of His faithfulness in our own trials. This might take place in sunday school or in a home group. But it must take place on a regular basis. The fruit of relationship is directly proportionate to the investment.
4) We need to hear God’s Word being preached. We need to be reminded of God’s bigger story. Very Often. Not once a year, not once a month, but very, very often. Just think. When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, they had only made steps into their journey before they had already forgotten the miracles and were fearful that they would be trampled by the chariots or eaten by vultures in the desert. How often we need to be reminded of His faithfulness.
5) We need to be a part of corporate worship in the church. God demands and deserves our praise. And when I don’t have the strength or the desire to raise my hands or my voice, I need to be around those who do.
6) Activity does not equal maturity. We are not more mature believers simply because we are more active. As a matter of fact, I believe there are many who are falsely believing their church attendance is what’s saving them. We must listen to God’s voice, not just the schedule in the bulletin to determine what things we should take part in. And sometimes that will mean saying “no” to certain opportunities, activities, and groups. Jesus himself often pulled away from the crowds and went the opposite direction. And every time it was to get alone with His Father, or to follow where the Holy Spirit was leading him.
7) The church is not a place, it is a people. It is indeed important to be involved in the corporate worship, preaching, and work of the local church. But sometimes church just means having another family over for dinner, or texting a friend to check on them. Sometimes church even means taking a road trip to see an old friend.
2) Jesus loves His church, and His people should too. He refers to the church as the bride of Christ. He both cherishes and commissions the church with his love and his power to do his work. When we become disenfranchised regarding the church to the point where we are indifferent or even bitter towards it, we have some heart work to do.
3) We need the community of the church. Spiritual growth will not take place apart from community. The accountability, correction, encouragement, and support that the body of Christ provides in small groups is irreplaceable. We need to know when we’re struggling that we’re not alone in the struggle. We need to hear stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of others, and to share the stories of His faithfulness in our own trials. This might take place in sunday school or in a home group. But it must take place on a regular basis. The fruit of relationship is directly proportionate to the investment.
4) We need to hear God’s Word being preached. We need to be reminded of God’s bigger story. Very Often. Not once a year, not once a month, but very, very often. Just think. When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, they had only made steps into their journey before they had already forgotten the miracles and were fearful that they would be trampled by the chariots or eaten by vultures in the desert. How often we need to be reminded of His faithfulness.
5) We need to be a part of corporate worship in the church. God demands and deserves our praise. And when I don’t have the strength or the desire to raise my hands or my voice, I need to be around those who do.
6) Activity does not equal maturity. We are not more mature believers simply because we are more active. As a matter of fact, I believe there are many who are falsely believing their church attendance is what’s saving them. We must listen to God’s voice, not just the schedule in the bulletin to determine what things we should take part in. And sometimes that will mean saying “no” to certain opportunities, activities, and groups. Jesus himself often pulled away from the crowds and went the opposite direction. And every time it was to get alone with His Father, or to follow where the Holy Spirit was leading him.
7) The church is not a place, it is a people. It is indeed important to be involved in the corporate worship, preaching, and work of the local church. But sometimes church just means having another family over for dinner, or texting a friend to check on them. Sometimes church even means taking a road trip to see an old friend.
All these thoughts came to a head last week when we had a particularly rough week in our family. The stress of our schedules and parenting through particular issues was absolutely exhausting. We went to church and we sat in the service and the tears began to flow as I heard and saw the words being sung:
“Oh my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength, always,
I will not fear, his promise is true
My God will come through, always. Always.”
“Oh my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength, always,
I will not fear, his promise is true
My God will come through, always. Always.”
I had spent my week wondering where God was in the midst of that struggle, feeling vulnerable, weak, and fearful, doubting all his promises and whether or not He would come through this time. So in all honesty, I was having a hard time singing about him being a refuge, a strength. I couldn’t bring myself to sing about his promises, or about Him coming through because in this particular situation, I hadn’t yet seen it. I KNOW without a doubt these things to be true, but I wasn’t FEELING any of them. But there were many around me with hands raised, declaring the praises of the faithful one, some with tears streaming down their own faces.
And earlier that week, a friend had texted me a link to this very same song. And later that morning, the pastor preached on God’s faithfulness in these very situations and reaffirmed all that we were doing as parents. Our Sunday school lesson was even more encouraging, as I knew I was not alone in the struggle as others shared, and I was encouraged with real life ways to apply His Word to our situation. Another friend had encouraged me during the week, calling to check on me, and just to tell me she was praying for me.
This is why the church – God’s people – are so important. It wasn’t any one of those things that encouraged me by itself. It wasn’t the song, the sermon, the text messages, or the raised hands that helped me to lift my eyes to Jesus again. It was all of them put together. This is why we so desperately need the church. This is why Rob and I have decided to worship with our church on Sundays and to be a part of a small group. This is why we will have other families over for dinner, and go on dates with other couples. This is why we will encourage our kids to be involved in the student ministries. None of it to be a part of a club, but to be a part of a community. A community of people – the church – building one another up as we live life together imperfectly, looking to the perfection of Jesus Christ in it all.
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