Why I Don’t Blame You For Not Liking Church

I don’t either.  That’s it.  I just thought you would like to know.

Okay, there is a little more to it than that.  Read on, if you like:Okay, yes really.  It is true that I don’t like church.  Many of you who consider yourself more ‘progressive’ will probably say that you are spiritual, but that you prefer that inner relationship with God to ‘organized religion.’  You know, that inner relationship that you can develop while you are on the golf course, nursing that hangover, or catching fish.  Seeing God through nature and all that stuff.

Yeah, I hear you.  But you and I both know better.  I’m not judging.  Matter of fact, I’m confessing.  I’m right with you, only I’m not going to try to convince you I’m all that spiritual.  I’m not.  I am a believer, but I don’t like church, and I don’t have any intellectual sounding excuses.  I just don’t like it.

Truth of the matter is, there is nothing I would like to do more than get up on Sunday morning at around 5am, pour a cup of coffee, sit on my back deck and listen to the birds wake up.  If you have ever been up that early, you know that birds are at their loudest before all the cars, kids, and dogs wake up.  It might at some point between then and when my kids get up dawn on me that God created all of that.  But to be honest, thoughts like that don’t stay resident in my head all the time.  Truth is I doubt the thought would cross my mind very often.

What  would rather not do, is feel obligated.  Mostly, I mean the social obligation.  I joke sometimes that in Baptist churches, if you miss Sunday School the teacher will say, “missed you in Sunday School” the next time he saw you, even though what he really meant was, “I’m keeping track, Rich, and I want you to know that you aren’t going to get away with it.”  But, I’m not really joking a whole lot.  Not that I blame the guy really, who wants to be in charge of a Sunday School class that’s membership is waning?  Someone might think you stink at it!

More than the social obligation though is the real obligation.  The one to God.  At least the one I think I owe to God.  The only pointed passage can find about going to church is the one that says we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.  I can’t remember the book/chapter/verse, but you can look it up if you want to.  I’m sure there are more passages that can be interpreted that way, but most of them are a stretch.  Couldn’t we assemble at someone’s house, or the golf course (I’m kidding.)  Sometimes I wonder if he meant that we should spend a few million dollars on a great facility with good resale value in case we outgrow it.  I’m not saying he doesn’t.  I’m just wondering.

Also, I know that we humans were created needing relationships.  We were created for community.  With each other, and with God.  It is important that we come together and strengthen each other.  Life is tough, and living as a Christian is tough.  The Enemy is out there waiting to cause us to stumble.  He hates us, because we are Christ’s emmisaries, spreading the gospel.  We are, aren’t we?  Okay, I’m not.  No, to be honest I don’t spend a whole lot of time focussed on leading people to Christ.  The devil probably checks in on me once in a while, but he hasn’t had to put too much time or treasure toward keeping me from doing God’s work.  Maybe if I was, I would need more of the encouragement you get from assembling together.   (note to self: spend some time thinking about that tonight.)  Well, anyway, I’m not saying we shouldn’t ‘assemble together.’  I guess I just don’t want to.

But if we are going to, and I probably will, the best way to do that is probably to go to an organized church.  That way, you don’t have to worry about getting the house clean, or what time all your church friends will leave.  Nice and convenient, having a building where we can all get together, be nice to each other, and pretend to like the occasional person who either makes you crazy or did something that hurt you in the past.  Then we can talk about how Jesus hated hypocrits and arrogance, and congratulate ourselves on how great we are at not being like that.  Plus, there are preachers who need to get paid.  And mortgages, utilities, and staff…It is appropriate for them to be paid.  My pastor deserves six figures.  He is good, and a good man. 

Problem with getting him paid is people are a whole lot better about pitching in while they are all together agreeing and partaking.  Most churches have a system for that ranging from boxes in the back you can slip a check into, to one church I saw on TV where they posted the plates up front, and everyone filed to the plates to tithe.  Man, that was awesome.  No guilt trips there.  Just stay in your seat if you only get paid every two weeks.  No one will notice you didn’t get up.  They won’t talk about you after church at Shoney’s.

Well finally, the last reason I don’t like going to church is people.  People drive me crazy.  And, unfortunately, church people can be the ones who drive me the craziest.  Men who don’t know the difference between ‘meek’ and ‘weak’.  People who get elected deacon, but steal their cable tv.  Hypocrits.  Liars.  Gossips.  People like…me.

Maybe I don’t like church because I expect it to be full of people who are different.  People who have a handle on all this living like a Christian thing.  People I can look up to as examples that it is possible.  Not people like me who need some motivation.  Who need help.  Hope.  Kind of an inappropriate expectation, isn’t it?  Sort of like going to the hospital because I am injured, and getting mad when I find sick people there.  “If you guys knew what you were doing in this hospital, there wouldn’t be any sick people here!”  Well, except me of course.

Well, that’s why I don’t like church.  And why I don’t blame you if you don’t like it.  Guess that’s why I need it, too.  See you Sunday?