How to love GOING to church?

[rita727]

In short, it's a real struggle for me to go to church and has been for years. If left up to me, I'd be inconsistent at best or absent, at worst.

God has told me that he wants me to attend church more and build relationships there. He communicated it in a way that said He considered it URGENT for me to address. Since then, Ive been attending. But if I'm being honest, it still feels like a weight around my neck everytime I'm getting ready to go. Once I'm there, I'm content. The battle is in the GOING.

Any advice? Thanks.

(PS. I know church is not the building. That's not the focus.)

 

[timf]

Try several churches and focus on asking those that look interesting out for lunch or other external activity. Churches in general are organizational systems and though many valiantly attempt to facilitate relationships, systems are poorly designed to help relationship formation. A small group bible study might also open up possibilities.

 

[Unqualified]

Church is a struggle to go sometimes and I’ve been a little lazy about going twice a week lately. But when I do I always get blessed. The sermons where I go are a blessing. The people are pleasant and a blessing when my attitude is right. The relationships are based on whatever you can handle. Go to serve the lord. I’m an usher, I go to prayer before hand. I get to greet the people as they come in. It hasn’t been deep relationships but comredery is there. That’s where I met my wife. She was involved, loves the lord, I am too. Pleasant positive people in church.
The word of God expounded upon, so real so holy.

i am tempted sometimes, I mis a day sometimes. But it worth it when I go. I get to give a little. I get to be upright with the righteous. I get corrected and start out new. All biblical. Putting the Bible into practice and take what I’ve learned to the world.

 

[okay]

But if I'm being honest, it still feels like a weight around my neck everytime I'm getting ready to go. Once I'm there, I'm content.

It might not be easy or possible, but I think it is worth trying to figure out why it feels like a weight. And if you need to build relationships, my experience is that it can help to get involved in some way. Like timf suggested, perhaps you can try joining a small group or bible study, or find a way to serve? Once you build stronger relationships you may find it helps motivate you.

Here is my anecdote. We had moved to a new church in the Fall of 2019 so weren’t really plugged in before the world shut down. Once things opened up it just felt like a burden to get there on Sunday morning and I rarely went. This spring I finally figured out that I needed a church that was closer to my home. I think I have found my new church, which is a short, relaxing drive on back roads instead of a much longer drive on an interstate. It is also significantly smaller (100ish versus a few hundred) and I am finding it easier to connect with people in a smaller congregation. All of my prior churches were some flavor of evangelical, but this one is Episcopal and I am finding the liturgy and weekly Eucharist to be so meaningful. Now I look forward to church.

So I needed to change churches, but that was just me and my situation (and after a couple of years of almost never getting to church). Your situation is different and so I would generally expect a different solution.

I wish you the best.

 

[Aaron112]

I know church is not the building.

simple truth.
Don't go someplace if they are not in union with Jesus, if they are not a light in the world of darkness, if they participate in evil things that should rather be exposed.

Where 2 or 3 are gathered IN MY NAME, (in Truth; in Him) ...... be one of those.

 

[BukiRob]

In short, it's a real struggle for me to go to church and has been for years. If left up to me, I'd be inconsistent at best or absent, at worst.

God has told me that he wants me to attend church more and build relationships there. He communicated it in a way that said He considered it URGENT for me to address. Since then, Ive been attending. But if I'm being honest, it still feels like a weight around my neck everytime I'm getting ready to go. Once I'm there, I'm content. The battle is in the GOING.

Any advice? Thanks.

(PS. I know church is not the building. That's not the focus.)

First off KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE! For reference I was saved when my mother shared with me the gold pamphlet the 4 spiritual laws. I know even though I was only 10 I KNEW it was the truth. That was summer of 1968. Ive walked, stumbled, fallen, been picked up and Slammed down and just so God could make it clear, WE ARE DONE PLAYING, from the worlds perspective I have lost OVER one million dollars. God was UNBELIEVABLY merciful in his correction towards me. Everything that has happend to me to place me where I am TODAY is a picture of his GLORIOUS Mercy which I DO NOT DESERVE. There was a moment where I thought my sin was going cause my children to pay a price for my sin of rebellion. I had LONG since been daily in time with God (all day really) with dedicated time in scripture study. So Im good spiritually speaking or at least on the right path... the problem for me is i just dont fit in with the folks at any place Ive ever gone. First off I am a semi-professional musician have played for over 50 years Ive played professionally live in bands or live in jams at bars for about 6.5 years, There is the "problematic" word. BARS well tough folks that is WHERE MUSIC GETS PLAYED deal with it!


I purchase a Spiralbound bible THE PROPHETS and am currently in chapter 18 at my current pace, I will get through it in about 12 weeks then it will be on to the New Testament and back to the books or poetry or the Torah can decide which my goal is to just keep going and redoing them in different orders etc... the point is that church DOES NOTHING FOR YOU if you aren't spending EACH day with God and in the bible. Kind of hard to have your mind renewed by the washing of the word if you aren't in the word!!! Yeshua said that the SPIRIT is willing but the FLESH IS WEAK. The Flesh wants nothing to do with renewing the mind because THAT IS WHERE SIN STARTS!

 

[Unqualified]

Dream on

 

[rita727]

Dream on

What do you mean?

 

[Unqualified]

Yes it’s difficult to go, but worth it. Take part in it. Pray or something.