Part 279. Going to church, or not. A rant!

There are good reasons for going to church: meeting friends,  fellowship, encouraging, celebrating and commiserating.  Then there is the singing and music. However there is a downside to the singing: the interminable banal repetitive meaningless drivel of many choruses and hymns. There are hymns that reflect scripture and are educational. And there are some excellent musicians and choirs.

The boredom of sitting through sermons doing little more than paraphrasing scripture does little to encourage, whilst the less said about the focus and length of prayers the better.  Of course there are church services with challenging sermons and prayers.

The issue is that many churches become holy huddles, inward-looking, preoccupied with gaining entry to the kingdom in heaven in preference to seeking his  kingdom on earth. As my thinking has changed I have come to the conclusion that many congregations and individual Christians have become passive in their comfort zones, lacking the dynamic demanded by Jesus to follow him and love our neighbour with action to support individuals in need and campaigning  against systemic injustice.  

When Christians gather together how often do the sermons and prayers reflect on how we can do more to meet the demands Jesus places on us?  Following Jesus is a call to action.

I recognise that churches and individuals undertake much good work in the community and engage in campaigning.  My plea is that such activities should be reflected in services: indeed prioritised when we gather on Sundays.

Rant over!