Leaving the Church

[JesseBassett]

Hi,
I brought my whole family back to God. First it was my grandma. We began attending services at a community church. Then my mom attended and so forth. Eventually all except my dad (parent's are divorced btw) became members. We go every sunday and I love it! Except for the youth band (another story for another time). Anywayz, when I get older, I probably will be homechurched. Lately I am getting sick of going every sunday...maybe it's a stage a teen goes through? Finally, I am outraged most believers think the church is the building you go to on sundays. It is the people you meet and converse with that are the Church.

That's my two cents.

 

[ZiSunka]

I don't think that MOST Believers think that the church is a building, I think most UNBELIEVERS think that and that's why they don't go. Who wants to waste time looking at the same building every week. I think we Believers know that the church is the family of Believers as well as the building where they meet. I like to call the building the meeting house and the body of Believers the church!

 

[Tavita]

Yes, lambslove, I would have to agree with your thoughts here. Unbelievers do think the church is the building only because that's how we've portrayed it over the years. The people in the church have got to get the understanding and knowledge of WHO they really are first, so the rest of the world can see the truth.

 

[Bevlina]

Yes I must agree with both you ladies there. People do tend to think the church is a building. That's how we were all brought up I think.
But hey! It'd be strange to see a group of people walk down the street and have unbelievers say "There goes the Body of Christ".

 

[New_Wineskin]

When people continue to use the phrase "go to church" , they perpetuate the idea that the church is a place or a building and not the believers themselves .

 

[Bevlina]

Exactly, when in actual fact, the believers are the Body of Christ, not the building. The building itself is only where they congregate to worship And, many a wonderful Meeting has actually been held in a tent!

 

[Count]

I left the........no, no, not the church but an organization called "the curch" 6-7 years ago. After attending these meetings for about 4 years, a crises which continued for about 2 years, took place. During these 2 years this outward crises began to become an inward crises. At first I couldn't understand how the elders of that church building who were more than 25 years in Christ could fiercely fight each other. When I saw their real spirituality I imagined myself at their age being at the same level. At that time the so called church split and I left that organization.

The difference with me is that I left the "church" not because of some problems that I had with some persons, becasue all the churches have problems. I didn't left a church building just to go to another. I left the organized church for ever because I wanted to find the real church. The real church is not a particular church with a particular name. The real church however is not find within the institutional or organized church. A real church is when the believers could experience real church life, and could share Christ with each other. A real church is when all the believers could serve in spiritual things, not only a bunch of them. A real church is when all the believers could be priests, not only a few of them. A real church is only when the head of the body is Jesus Christ and no one else. A real church is when she (not it) is not organized and chained by human rules and regulations, and when her life springs out spontanously. She daily learns to eat from the Tree of Life, not from the Tree of Knowledge.

I have had the chance to talk with brothers and sisters that experience church life. They never say the phrase "go to church". Instead of "when I go to church" they say "when the church gather" or "when I go to the home the church gather". And they do this spontanously,not as a rule.

For the time being I live in Athens, Greece and I hope that soon I will experience daily the church life here in Greece.

 

[Albion]

I left the........no, no, not the church but an organization called "the curch" 6-7 years ago. After attending these meetings for about 4 years, a crises which continued for about 2 years, took place. During these 2 years this outward crises began to become an inward crises. At first I couldn't understand how the elders of that church building who were more than 25 years in Christ could fiercely fight each other. When I saw their real spirituality I imagined myself at their age being at the same level. At that time the so called church split and I left that organization.

The difference with me is that I left the "church" not because of some problems that I had with some persons, becasue all the churches have problems. I didn't left a church building just to go to another. I left the organized church for ever because I wanted to find the real church. The real church is not a particular church with a particular name. The real church however is not find within the institutional or organized church. A real church is when the believers could experience real church life, and could share Christ with each other. A real church is when all the believers could serve in spiritual things, not only a bunch of them. A real church is when all the believers could be priests, not only a few of them. A real church is only when the head of the body is Jesus Christ and no one else. A real church is when she (not it) is not organized and chained by human rules and regulations, and when her life springs out spontanously. She daily learns to eat from the Tree of Life, not from the Tree of Knowledge.

I have had the chance to talk with brothers and sisters that experience church life. They never say the phrase "go to church". Instead of "when I go to church" they say "when the church gather" or "when I go to the home the church gather". And they do this spontanously,not as a rule.

For the time being I live in Athens, Greece and I hope that soon I will experience daily the church life here in Greece.

The word obviously has several different meanings. More than these two, in fact. Everyone I know says "go to church" when they mean assemble with others for worship, but they also know that, theologically, the "church" is more than just the worship site or even the local assembly of believers you were speaking of. It is the faithful, the saved, found in whatever denomination (or non-denomination) everywhere who are known only to God.

 

[Count]

The word obviously has several different meanings. More than these two, in fact. Everyone I know says "go to church" when they mean assemble with others for worship, but they also know that, theologically, the "church" is more than just the worship site or even the local assembly of believers you were speaking of. It is the faithful, the saved, found in whatever denomination (or non-denomination) everywhere who are known only to God.

I absolutely agree with you brother, but I was speaking of experiencing church life here on earth in a particular local church. For instance, actually I am not attending any church meeting, but I am still member of the Church since I believe in Jesus Christ, but it doesn't mean that I don't need to be among brothers and sisters and experience the body of Christ acording to the New Testament records.

 

[Tawny]

Well I left about 5 years ago, for the reasons I stated below. As far as I am concerned 'church' can be anywhere, as long as you are praising God. So for me, although I don't go down to the big stone building in my village I am still a commited member of the 'greater church'.

Nicky

 

[Bevlina]

Me too Nicky. There are many various churches on earth today. Too many! I am comitted to God through my Saviour Jesus Christ, and that means far more to me than a building.

 

[Gumdrop71]

Lately I am getting sick of going every sunday...maybe it's a stage a teen goes through?
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Exactly the reason I stopped going. No, it's not that you are a teen, it's the "saints" who love to play martyr and attend services while they are deathly ill. I suppose it's a "good" thing to spread germs to everyone at church.

 

[Albion]

Well I left about 5 years ago, for the reasons I stated below. As far as I am concerned 'church' can be anywhere, as long as you are praising God. So for me, although I don't go down to the big stone building in my village I am still a commited member of the 'greater church'.

Nicky

How does one receive the sacraments while praising God in isolation?

 

[Albion]

I absolutely agree with you brother, but I was speaking of experiencing church life here on earth in a particular local church. For instance, actually I am not attending any church meeting, but I am still member of the Church since I believe in Jesus Christ, but it doesn't mean that I don't need to be among brothers and sisters and experience the body of Christ acording to the New Testament records.

I agree. My point was more about the fact that so many have been saying that church means either the building or the assembly of believers, as though there is any big confusion. Most people know that both meanings are attached to the word, "church."