Thursday, 29 July 2010
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Unsatisfied By Sunday Service: Time To Church Hop?
Yesterday, I spoke with my Christian sister about her dissatisfaction with Sunday service at our church. She couldn't directly identify what was specifically unsatisfactory; but, she noticed a difference in her Sunday service experience. "When I first started going, I was touched every Sunday. It was great. Lately, I don't feel the same" she added.As the conversation continued, my friend alluded to looking for a new church. I immediately rejected the idea. Firstly, I love our church. I think everyone should go there because I'm church-centric. Secondly, I know that my friend is spiritually vulnerable right now. Why do Sunday services sometimes seem dry? If you aren't satisfied with Sunday service, should you go church hopping?
For starters, I inquired about my friend's daily walk and quiet time. "Are you reading the Bible every day?" I asked her. She admitted that she hadn't been reading the Word daily. Moreover, she continued to explain that other things in her life took precedent over her quiet time, a habit that she noted wasn't right.
I didn't need to dig much deeper than this one question and answer session. I am confident that my friend's dissatisfaction with service has a lot to do with her spirit that is starving throughout the week and expectant for a miracle by Sunday morning. Not to preach at anybody, but you need to open the Word of God daily so that you're open to His word. If not, your spirit can become hardened to the Word and presence of God.
Ironically, our pastor talked about character assassinations this past Sunday. One of these character assasinators is lax spiritual habits. If you're not doing spiritual exercises on a regular basis, you're setting yourself up for failure in the future. I reminded my friend of the vulnerable position she was in spiritually. "When you're spiritually vulnerable, you should not church hop!" I repeated to her several times.
Church hopping, in and of itself, isn't the wisest practice. Nonetheless, it is something that we do when we don't feel spiritually fed. However, I advise against church hopping since it's something that I'm very familiar with. When you bounce from assembly to assembly, you're picking up bits and pieces of the entire church experience. A pastor may be teaching a complete series, and you may feel dissatisfied if you don't understand the entire context of his message from one Sunday service. It's also important to keep in mind that no church is perfect.
In C.S. Lewis' book The Screwtape Letters, he talks about church hopping briefly. For Lewis, church hopping is ill advised because congregants of this type approach churches as critics versus hungry Christians. If you're visiting a church for the first time, you might become overly interested in the choir member whose tie is a shade darker than everyone else's. Distractions like this can happen. After the service, your heard is swarming with so many questions, comments and concerns, you're not satisfied with the message at all.
You can't expect that Sunday service will knock you off your feet every service. God did intend the message for you though. If He didn't, you wouldn't be sitting there. Remember, you're also in an assembly of believers at different part of their walk. Maybe this service really touched another young Christian who you were supposed to encourage after service. Maybe, you're a great worshipper and your hand clapping, crying, speaking in tongues and joyful noise will encourage another shy person to go worship God too. We're all part of the service in some way.
Finally, there are dry periods in our faith. At this point, we are walking by faith and not by sight. God tests our hearts at these times to see what we're really made of. C.S. Lewis made mention of a faith being destroyed by a war as not worth saving in the first place. If your faith is easily broken from a few Sundays of not directly hearing from God, you can be assured that you have some spiritual maturing to do.
Before you go on a mission for a new church, check your spiritual inventory. Are you praying, reading the Word, fasting and assembling with other Christians regularly? If not, stay right where you are. Long ranger Christians seeking a spiritual high at their ultimate low is a recipe for spiritual suicide...Take my word on this.
Have you ever gone through a period of spiritual dryness where you didn't hear from God on Sunday? Did you go church hopping after that? What is an alternative to church hopping?
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- From: EBailey
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Comments (6)
I've never went church hopping, I don't think that's always the right way to solve your problems. Sometimes it is just that we are not giving God the praise he deserves, etc.
i believe there is a time and place for changing churches.
We are in this season ourselves.
When you feel the spirit of the church change, and the whole direction of the church and the church's focus shifts from where it should be, it might be time to change.
We have been praying about this for a few months, and we believe that it is time to move. So we are seeking God's direction in finding our new church home. But we have decided against church hopping for the moment and are worshiping at home with family and friends.
Randomly hoping from church to church is, for us anyway, not a good idea. But who is to say it does not work for some people? Maybe they have a restlessness in their spirit and they feel led to move from church to church.
One can't judge another persons church choices because you don't know where they are and what God is calling them to do. Is it not more important that they fellowship with other believers and we all worship the same GOD anyway.
I mean what about pastors who church hop? I know one pastor who has not spoken at the same church in 3 years. What does that say about him? Commitment issues?
(sorry, I am very tired, grumpy and more sarcastic then normal tonight).
Good post tho.
I used to go to church every Sunday, then I moved an hour away and just do not like the only nearby church. I cant explain it, it just rubs me the wrong way. I dont feel like part of the community. I would love to go back to church, I just am really not comfortable in the only one available within 40 miles.
Firstly, I agree that we shouldn't always look for an emotional experience in church every Sunday. I don't think that's what church is supposed to be all about. So, wanting to change churches for the reason that "it no longer touches me" might be a sign that your friend is looking for or expecting something from church that is not realistic. It makes me think of people who divorce because "I don't love him/her anymore": like saying the person doesn't give them the same thrills they used to get at the beginning of the relationship. Relationships aren't all about the thrills, although the thrills do have their part to play. So church isn't all about the feelings, although the feelings do have a part to play.
I especially like what you said about living by faith and not by sight: Mother Teresa went through the "dark night of the soul" for many years, where she felt God was distant and didn't care. (See article in TIME magazine.) Yet she held on. So we shouldn't be so dependent on emotional experiences in our faith.
But I don't agree with your definition of "church hopping". Church hopping means a person is jumping from one church to another. If this is the first time your friend is thinking about changing churches, and if she's been in her current church for awhile, this can hardly be considered church hopping.
@LadyGwenivere@xanga - Church hopping and changing churches are not the same thing, as you pointed out. I also believe there is a time to change churches. My family did the same thing some years back when we weren't getting fed by the church we were attending. The one we now attend has helped us all to grow. I think you made another important point also---the most important thing is what God is leading us to do. The friend the OP mentioned did not say that she was church hopping because God was leading her to do so; she said it was because she didn't have the moving emotional experience she wanted to have during Sunday service. Church hopping because of our feelings is not a good idea.
Personally, I believe it is important to be grounded in one church body, so I stay in the church that I am at, even when I'm not emotionally moved by the Sunday morning service. After all, faith is not about our feelings. (In fact, it is often the opposite of feelings). The most important thing is to do what God is leading you to do. If God leads you to a new church, then by all means, go. But don't let your feelings cause you to make unwise decisions.
Sometimes, though, we have needs that are not always met by the church body that we are a part of. For example, my church doesn't have small group Bible studies, and I would like to be a part of one. When that is the case, instead of leaving my church in search of another one, I use time outside of Sunday morning to pursue those things. I'll go to my own church on Sunday and then go somewhere else on Wednesday. I visit other churches when they have special speakers or conferences, special events and service projects. I'm looking for another small group to join. But I can do all of this on other days of the week and stay connected to my church on Sunday.
Another point the OP made is also very, very valid. Times when we feel most disconnected from church are often times when we feel most disconnected from God. So before you decide to change churches, look at your quiet time and prayer life. Is something lacking there? Seek God's will for your church membership and see what and where His will is for you to be.
Disclaimer: Please read ALL of what I post before responding. :)
Going to church is more then it 1st appears.
Reasons for going to church are not JUST about to connecting with the music, learning from the sermon and going away feeling closer to God. It IS about that BUT it is more about.... You to showing Your love to God. If you have been blessed in church that is a Gift from the Lord, But... have You been giving any thing back to Him? That is the real heart of Worship!
A lot of churches have worked so hard to be "entertaining" to make it less boring that sometimes the real reason for being there gets lost.
~ ~ ~God wants a Real relationship with us.~ ~ ~ A Give & Take Relationship
You want to get the fire back? Next time you are there- sing the music from your very soul. Mean every word as if the Lord was standing right in front of you. (He will be, by the way- always has been, you just don't see it) Ever wonder what its like to hear God whisper "I love you" into your ear or into your thoughts? Next time you are in prayer- tell Him you love Him. He is a real person not... some Holy nothingness in the Sky. If you mean it- He'll let you know He heard you! :) And bring some tissues His love can be powerful!
If you really mean it from your heart, He will show up- no matter what church you are in!
And one last thought- the Best for last :) You can not out bless God. You bless Him with your worship and He Will bless you- like you have never been blessed before! :)