Welcome to Gaia! ::

Before you read, know that I am not condemning your beliefs or actions. That is not my place. I'm not saying that anything currently set in place is wrong.



Did you answer that you went to church every time they're having a service? Do you set aside time to be with God? You pour yourself into the worship service, don't you.

It's not a time to set aside for God. It's not about sitting through a half-hour sermon or pouring your heart into the praise songs. It's not about you or even God, though that's where the focus is.

God is with us always. We should be praising him whenever we are joyous. We should pray, as it says, "Without ceasing." Commune with Him. Talk to him. Do what he say.

Church is like a Mac cruise. You are going to a place to be with other believers, pick them up when they're down, pray together, and be joined in a place without hate, malice, or criticism of your beliefs, united in our love of Jesus and God the father.

The early church met in people's houses. They had to do it in secret, because it was illegal, but we can meet and worship freely (for the most part). I will never say that meeting in an organized worship service is wrong, but remember that there are other people there who might need you to pray with them. That's why some people COME to church.

No strong Christian (including Jesus) in the old testament was segregated from unbelievers, nor did they want to be. Befriend the unbeliever who has come to your church. Lift his/her spirit. What you would do for your pastor, do for the ex-rapist who has served his time in prison. What you would do for the kindly old woman who plays the organ do for the boy who beat you up in second grade and you've never liked since then. Church is about the people being together and reinforcing each other as a group.

I'm not saying you shouldn't worship God in church by any means. He is the glue that holds us together, both as individuals and as a group. My point is that time should not be "set aside" for God. Time is set aside for reinforcement.



But I've talked enough for someone who hasn't posted in so long. :XP:

Peace.

No no no. I'm not saying that anything that is in place is wrong. I am saying that people who go to church because that is "the time" to worship God and who ignore other people are missing part of the point of meeting in that type format.

And I love going to church and fellowshipping with my brothers and sisters in Christ. As I said in my disclaimer, I am not condemning anything currently set in place.

You're definetly right. Plus, Christian community wasn't meant to be just in the confined slots of time for church. Church is great, but there should be little snippets of the group fellowshipping frequently with each other outside of the church walls. As in, community isn't just during church time. Worship isn't just during church time. Church is a larger corporate gathering of smaller bodies that have been worshipping all week.