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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/1/2009 11:11:12 PM
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Isaiah331516
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pink,
i am glad you started this thread. not sure what it is, but it got me thinking and opened my eyes to others' thoughts. thanks!
well, not only does Jesus say "where two or more.." but looking at Acts...paul, and timothy, and peter (and..) were traveling around to, well, churches filled with people desiring to learn the truth, God's truth. that is how i see church: people gathered (more than one) somewhere, a house, a park, a facility, to praise the Lord, to worship Him, to learn under an anointed man of God the Truth, to fellowship, to be converted, to be delivered, to get healed, to testify, to love.
why Not to go to church?
you know i was just thinking about this cuz my pastor basically says there is no reason to not go to church. i missed church when my dad died and when we had his memorial. i don't think i did anything wrong for missing my regular church time for those reasons. i go when sick because i also go to church for healing.
praise God! He is good! Amen!
< Message edited by Isaiah331516 -- 11/1/2009 11:18:55 PM >
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Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/1/2009 11:16:31 PM
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PinkCarnations
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Sometimes I think that we push so hard to get people into church that I think we fail to see the reasons why they aren't attending.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/1/2009 11:17:14 PM
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humbleinspirit
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Now there could be health reasons as to why someone might not make it to church too.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/1/2009 11:47:27 PM
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Isaiah331516
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besides pushing to get people like in instances when they need a ride or with the widowed or elderly, i don't see the need in pushing people to go.
it seems that very often, some people only go to church to please another, that 'other' not being God. this is not cool-this can lead to all kinds of false securites and misunderstandings.
one thing i will say is that in no way do i believe any pastor should ever sugar coat the Word to get people to come to church. i also don't think making up groups and clubs, etc so that more people will come is a good idea. in this sense, i am not so concerned with changing things so that people will come. when they want to hear the Word, they'll come. if they aren't ready for that yet, all the bells and whistles aren't going to get anybody into heaven.
i know this is kind of off topic, but i wrote it in response to pinkcarnations's last post.
quote:
Sometimes I think that we push so hard to get people into church that I think we fail to see the reasons why they aren't attending.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 1:19:51 AM
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magdaleine
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I think church attendance is vital. The one time in my life I thought I could stay home from church and spend time with God on my own, I wound up leaving God for a few years. That time my reason was trying to build a good marriage with a man I had, before marriage, thought was passionate about God but who turned out to not be. Church is very high on my priority list and when I know someone isn't going regularly for a reason other than health, I begin to pray about that. If they raise the subject, I'll enter into discussion but otherwise I don't mention it. For one thing, legitimate health needs can be very invisible. Maybe the person's illness is of a nature that they'd rather not mention or talk about. I would be at church every time the doors were open, if I could, but I can't always.
I think it's very important to show grace to those who don't attend as often as we think they should. We are all on different parts of the journey and with each of us, God focuses on different things he wants us to learn. We need to remember Jesus' injunction to not try to take the sliver out of our brother's eye when we have a log in our own. The thing is, those who have logs in their eyes are often blind to the log and can only see everyone else's slivers.
There are also those who have been abused by church and/or church leaders. There is far more spiritual abuse going on than people would like to admit. If someone has been hurt by this, it does no good to tell them that another church would be better. They are too wounded to be able to believe it. Again--pray! God does far more with our prayers than he does with our interferences.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 6:55:34 AM
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DeliveredDarling
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Luke 11:23
He who is not with Me is against Me: and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
I would think some reasons such as illness or deaths would be acceptable. All other reasons, just don't seem to fly. Jesus is pretty clear on how He views it.
_____________________________
"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed: but he puts it on a lampstand, in order that those who come in may see the light."
Luke 8:16
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 9:48:25 AM
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Katie51
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what verse says how often you must attend church? there isnt one. and what IS church, the building or the people, the family of God? it aint that building. is God everywhere and can He be worshiped anywhere? yes
< Message edited by Katie51 -- 11/2/2009 9:55:09 AM >
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 10:16:51 AM
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still4gvn
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the dog ate my Bible.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 11:21:11 AM
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ames01
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I haven't seen this mentioned yet . . . what about not being able to attend church a particular Sunday (or Saturday) because of work obligations? Acceptable, unacceptable, or depends on the situation?
My take on it is that it depends on the situation. I don't believe in being legalistic about church attendance (as in, "you must attend church every single week or you obviously don't love Jesus"), but I do believe that it's important to be plugged into a local body of believers and meet with them on a regular basis. So a job that frequently prevents a Christian from doing this in some way (whether it be attending church services, small group meetings, or some other form of fellowship) might be a conflict of interest.
But, I do think work can be an acceptable reason to miss church services once in a while. For example, I work in a hospital, and my job requires us to work weekends and holidays on a rotation basis. Patients don't stop being sick just because it's Sunday, and who better to provide compassionate care to them than a Christ follower? A case can be made for other fields (such as law enforcement, etc.) having acceptable reasons to miss church because of work, also.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 11:30:03 AM
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vmginny
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quote:
the dog ate my Bible. Yep, my dog did but I got another one to replace it.
_____________________________
Mark 10:27
Looking at them, Jesus *said, “ With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 11:40:54 AM
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madlyrics
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Is there really a acceptable reason not to attend church. I mean if your hurting go to church focus on God your hurts will seem minor. If your grieving go to church He will dry your tears. If your lost go to church He will find you. To me church is major we need the fellowship and the feeding of Gods word so there is no reason unless u live in a remote place where there is no church near then my suggestion is to open a Bible study and ask others in the area to join 
_____________________________
Loving and living for Jesus one day at a time
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 11:53:13 AM
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armywifey
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I think she/he was talking about a pattern, not just missing church here and there. Missing a service or two a month isn't the same as missing months and yrs at a time!
Speaking for ME, if i took a job that required me to work on sundays,[every] i would make sure i attended wed evening service or a weekly bible study. For ME being around the body is a vital part of my walk. In fact, when i was a less than luke-warm Christian I MADE myself go to church b/c i knew if satan could get me to STAY away from Gods ppl, i would end up backslidden. I was too lazy to read the bible and pray on my own, that i lived off others ppl's faith/testimionies etc until i could get back on track. In many ways, when i couldn't be accountable to myself, they stood in the gap.
I am at a place spiritually now, where i CAN'T WAIT for the church doors to open. When you are walking with the Lord right, and you crave learning more and more about him, and hearing more and more about him, you....well at least me....will WANT to be in church/bible study etc. I don't want to be a God unto myself. No matter how much we think we know, we can still all be taught!
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 11:57:55 AM
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BelleWeather
Posts: 719
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quote:
ORIGINAL: still4gvn
the dog ate my Bible.
And your cat talked him into it. ; )
_____________________________
We think we fathom the depths
when we are just skimming the surface with our finger.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 12:14:48 PM
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BelleWeather
Posts: 719
Joined: 7/29/2009
From: New York City
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quote:
ORIGINAL: magdaleine
I think church attendance is vital. The one time in my life I thought I could stay home from church and spend time with God on my own, I wound up leaving God for a few years. That time my reason was trying to build a good marriage with a man I had, before marriage, thought was passionate about God but who turned out to not be. Church is very high on my priority list and when I know someone isn't going regularly for a reason other than health, I begin to pray about that. If they raise the subject, I'll enter into discussion but otherwise I don't mention it. For one thing, legitimate health needs can be very invisible. Maybe the person's illness is of a nature that they'd rather not mention or talk about. I would be at church every time the doors were open, if I could, but I can't always.
I think it's very important to show grace to those who don't attend as often as we think they should. We are all on different parts of the journey and with each of us, God focuses on different things he wants us to learn. We need to remember Jesus' injunction to not try to take the sliver out of our brother's eye when we have a log in our own. The thing is, those who have logs in their eyes are often blind to the log and can only see everyone else's slivers.
There are also those who have been abused by church and/or church leaders. There is far more spiritual abuse going on than people would like to admit. If someone has been hurt by this, it does no good to tell them that another church would be better. They are too wounded to be able to believe it. Again--pray! God does far more with our prayers than he does with our interferences.
Magdaleine, Thank you for writing most eloquently.
< Message edited by BelleWeather -- 11/2/2009 12:22:02 PM >
_____________________________
We think we fathom the depths
when we are just skimming the surface with our finger.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 12:25:51 PM
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Consecrated2God
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Most of the people I know who do not attend church regularly have been hurt by the church in some way or another. They are sick of the politics, sick of the power plays and the emphasis on all the wrong things. While I understand and emphasize, I think it is very important to regularly meet together with other believers, even if you have to find a Bible study or a home church or even start your own gathering. I know there are some awful churches out there, but there are some wonderful churches, too. Find one and be willing to forgive and look past imperfections--remember that Christ loves His Bride, and if we love Christ, we also must love the Bride.
_____________________________
"A faith that can be destroyed by suffering is not faith."--Richard Wurmbrand
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 12:38:35 PM
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LCannon
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jn1010lf
Hello PinkCarnations
May I turn your question around to ask "What are the reasons we need to meet together?"
My answer would be to research in a concordance "one to another." Every one of those talks about things we do to and for one another. Every one of them also gives reasons why need to meet with one another.
Bingo! There's plenty of excuses for 'not' because 'not' is about me; my needs, my priorities and my want.
_____________________________
'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' (Joshua 1:5)
''Let the very worst thing come to pass[and]even there,
especially there; His hand will hold.' -Elisabeth Elliot-
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 1:23:53 PM
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jdtinker
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To be honest I don't think God cares whether you go to a church building or not. Part of the reason Jesus came was to end things like this; to try and remove our dependency on appearance. He came to remove ritual from the relationship. Too many people, like the Pharisees for example, kept up the appearance of a believer without having the heart of one, so with ritual removed there is nothing to hide behind. Many "churches" out there meet on the same day, sing the same hymns, do the same activities week after week, after week until it gets so stale and old that they lose interest and drive. Ritual has been brought back into it and when you see this and stop going, they act as if you've lost your way; when actually you've found it. I'm not saying that all churches are this way; I'm just saying that church is a family, not an organization or company. If you feel more connected to God by having a bunch of friends over who you talk about and worship God with, then honestly you are probably following God's will more so than the person sitting in a quiet church Sunday morning, bored out of his mind and thinking about how much he can't wait to get out of there. There are many people out there like that, I've seen it; I used to be one of them. For some church service has become a way to hold each other accountable, to judge another person's level of faith, which no human being has the right to do. I think fellowship is about having friends who are connected to God just like you; friends with whom you can share all your faults, sorrows, regrets, hopes, and happiness; friends that provide an environment where humility is honored not arrogance, where love and acceptance are abundant not judgment and hatred, where you can be truthful and heal all wounds with ease instead of feeling compelled to lie and save face.
This is a question which covers a truth that needs to be known, but I think as long as one thinks that this is a question that should have an answer, that person won't find that truth. Some might say that God wants us to participate in ritual, such as passover or communion; but from what I've seen most people do it with such cold calculation and blandness. I believe these things are supposed to be celebrations not rituals, times of joy and gathering; something you can't wait to experience again. I think too often some of us view God as we would a human warlord because He talks about glory, fear, and obedience; but God's ways are not our ways. God's glory should mean more to us than anything else we could pursue because He is our Father, so when we live in relationship with Him and each other the way He intended not only do we honor Him, but ourselves as well; and in the only real way possible. Fear is basically only an intense awareness of the potential for something life changing to happen; but fear of God should not be a fear that results in terror, but one that results in awe. A person who fears God is one who believes that He is in complete control of everything and that He is capable of achieving things of such greatness we can't even begin to fathom them. Obeying God is not submitting to slavery, but rising up to real freedom. When you share your life with others who obey God with all their hearts, you live in love and harmony with them, and a person experiencing that would never want to leave it.
God is the universal doctor, but I'm not going to be comfortable with a hospital where I'm neglected and treated indifferently by the nurses. We're not here to judge, but to accept. I've realized that all the good things that we could ever be are nothing but residual reflections of God's own perfect unchanging qualities. God has taught us a lot about Himself and how we should be through scripture and one common thing that He teaches throughout is that it's all about love, but human beings because of our sinful nature have a way of draining the life out of things that used to be full of it, to a point where we it no longer feels special. Any situation or conflict you have with another person, I think God has one thing He wants you to do and that's show them love; put the life back into fellowship.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 1:45:32 PM
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evry1needsgod
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People will get out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, dress themselves in the most elaborate tuxedo/dress that money can buy, and travel hours to a funeral to pay their respects to a family or friend who's died, regardless to how tired, painful, or inconvenient it may be for them.
People will do the same to respect a bride and a groom that has invited them to their wedding. Almost nothing will stop them from attending the wedding that they have been invited to, especially if the couple is a close friend or family.
People go to great lengths to pay their respects to mankind, but for some reason when it comes to paying their respects to the Person who really matters in this lifetime, they try to find any excuse to rationalize not having to attend church. People try to find any excuse to rationalize not wanting to submit themselves under the authority of a pastor called and ordained by God to lead them.
Go to church.
In Christ,
ZG
< Message edited by evry1needsgod -- 11/2/2009 1:51:35 PM >
_____________________________
< Don't make fun of my deer. It's spethal!
Believers are saved from their sin, not merely in their sinning!--drmark
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 1:56:02 PM
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Consecrated2God
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Well, that really isn't a good comparison, since weddings and funerals are one-time events in a person's life, and since God is omni-present. You don't have to go anywhere to "pay your respect" to God.
_____________________________
"A faith that can be destroyed by suffering is not faith."--Richard Wurmbrand
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 1:59:16 PM
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WalkingwithHim2
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I don't "have" to go to church at any time for any reason. I "get" to go to church. I "want" to go to church. I "enjoy" going to church. It is not another chore that I "have" to do.
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RE: Acceptable Reasons to NOT Go to Church. - 11/2/2009 2:01:32 PM
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Consecrated2God
Posts: 4925
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quote:
ORIGINAL: WalkingwithHim2
I don't "have" to go to church at any time for any reason. I "get" to go to church. I "want" to go to church. I "enjoy" going to church. It is not another chore that I "have" to do.
Most of the time that's true for me, too. However, there have been a few times in my life when it was a chore to go to church, because the congregants were caught up in politics. It's awfully hard to worship God when someone is glaring at you and the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife.
_____________________________
"A faith that can be destroyed by suffering is not faith."--Richard Wurmbrand
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