Locally, during the racial troubles in Cambridge during the 60s, we had our AME church - African Methodist Episcopal Church... not exactly an invitation for one and all. I had no problem with that then or now.
Hello one and all I do believe it`s not necessary to attend Church every week for God is every where if one calls and prays to Him. The important thing is the " belief and understand" that He created us for a reason and it`s one`s duty to carry it out according to his Wish. Whatever one is going thru good or other wise .---accept it and you will feel better. I was down with cancer and I believe I have to go thru with it . I am still alive because of Prayers and the Doctors God created. So don`t be disheartened.. Carina Ong
I started going back to church when I moved to this rural area in 2010. Like many other mainstream denominations, the Methodist Church suffers a declining membership base. It's on the brink of imploding due to stances on social issues, and has been temporarily saved by COVID causing those decisions to be deferred...but that's a different issue. There's been a push to get more members, and our District Supervisor came by each church to get input. It's telling that when we talk about why churches were full back in the day, no one mentioned God...everyone talked about churches being the social centers of the communities. Out in rural areas in the days before automobiles and where farms were miles apart, Sunday services might be the only time people saw someone outside of their household. For those of us who no longer work, churches continue to be our main points of human contact outside of family. Frankly, I attend for similar social reasons and to help others. The small church I go to is very active in the community and does a lot of social services stuff. But I don't really get much of a spiritual nature out of the services themselves...I'm there for the human contact. I've sought out a Bible study group near me to get the spiritual needs filled, but there's not a lot in this rural area, and many folks don't have internet. There's a lot to this subject. You hate to see churches have a capitalist side to them, but there is a financial reality to maintaining the infrastructure. So suddenly you're in a position where you become revenue-focused...and that takes members...and that takes selling a product people want to buy. I also see the church the same way as marriage in our culture. There are likely parallels with the underlying causes for both.
Here is my feeling about this issue: Satan has been perpetrating his lies upon humanity ever since the Garden of Eden, when he tried to convince Eve (and Adam) that they would become as gods. Instead they were given a term of hard labor (tilling the ground), turmoil, unhappiness, and eventual death. That same lie has been repackaged today as in various forms, such as the universalism teachingthat many religious roads lead to God (which is untrue) One reason church is declining is because today the feeling is that our advanced knowledge, especially in technology can solve all our problems, so we don’t need God. But, has technology made us a better nation, a nation of less crime and less evil? A nation where we don’t have to lock our doors, where our kids have no fear in attending schools replete with drugs, violence, or murders? Today, iPads, large screen TVs, computers with Facebook and Twitter are prevalent, but how are they making us better morally? Have they helped stem withdrug addiction, healed a marriage, or comforted those who have lost loved ones? Cared for the poor and sick, or visited those in prison? To agnostics, read the Bible, especially the first few chapters of the book of Romans, which teaches the depravity of man and his need of a Savior. Then read the account of Nimrod in Genesis 11 and see what happened when men wanted to use their ‘advanced knowledge’ to challenge God’s authority. Babel is derived from the Hebrew word meaning 'confusion' - Satan’s primary weapon and he is using it in full force today. Fortunately, God is concerned for mankind, taking an active part in human affairs by descending to earth to witness men's deeds. He did this again before judging Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:21), when He came to deliver His people out of Egypt (Ex 3:8), when He gave commandments to Israel (Ex 19:11,20) and, ultimately, when He came to earth to secure an eternal redemption on behalf of His people (Eph 4:9-10, John 1:1,14). Christ the Son of God, was sent to die on the cross to pay the reqired price of the sin of mankind, because “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, for which the wages is death. "...for the transgression of my people was He stricken (Isaiah 53:8). WhenChrist was praying for his disciples, He said "I knew that thou hearest Me always" (John 11:42), but on the cruel cross God turned His ear away and left Him alone and He knew and felt that loneliness! He also knew that He must become sin and in doing so would have to be forsaken by the Father. Read Revelations and you’ll find that Jesus will return to earth again, this next time as the triumphant King of Kings. I attend church because I want to worship a God who has done so much for me! How could I do any less? I am not being "holier than thou", because it would take a book to tell you how many times I have failed in my religious journey, but the fellowship of others who struggle, who weather storms, who beseech, who strive to walk, who seek answers, etc all help me in my own walk.
I can't remember the last time I was in church except as a tourist visiting a cathedral in Malaga eight years ago. I don't enjoy attending church or hearing Sermons and never have. I have many other fun things to do on a Sunday.
Not many people like to be lectured or given a sermon unless it is something that they are interested in learning. I might write that no one likes to be told that they have done something wrong and certainly, though I cannot say for sure about women, not many Men like to be told how to do something better. A small analogy: In order to go to the gym and build muscle more effectively without harming myself I had to first learn to put away my ego because learning stops when one’s ego is in the way. Doing stupid things in the gym is not only dangerous but it can also alienate one’s self from others who are there for the right reasons which is generally a strengthening process to stay healthy, productive and to feel better. Ya know, not one person who throws around plates has ever told me that it is fun to do and there are times when I personally hate it but at the end of the day, the results make me thankful that I did what I should do simply because I get results from doing things right. Though it took a bit to do, I have personally asked those who I respect to stop me whilst I am training if I am doing something wrong. It is easy to be wrong in the gym which, if not corrected, will lead to a bad habit thereby hampering my success. Just about the same thing applies when it comes to going to church. Spiritually, we have to put away our human ego because (1) we’re not at the top of the intellectual and spiritual food chains. There is something much bigger than ourselves and it takes humility to admit it in order to learn and grow which brings us to (2) everyone has multiple faults which when pointed out, we can work on and again, grow (3) no one is an island, an entity needing little or no emotional or mental support from others and (4) at some point we have to learn to say, “I do not know” and go from there. No matter how young a person is or how old or how smart a person believes they are, there are a lot of things to be learned and to me, learning is FUN no matter what day it is.
What are some of the many other fun things that you do on Sunday, @Lon Tanner ? Inquiring minds want to know.....
In years past when younger, playing golf, going to the beach, playing sports, took care of Sunday activity. Now. because of age and health it's watching professional football on TV or reading history.
I went to church for years. When it finally occurred to me that there were more hypocrites there than actual Christians I decided it wasn't worth my time.
Another contributing factor to the decline in attendance is that many people are working on Sundays, or the 2 wage earner households are catching up on chores. My dad managed retail his entire career. Stores used to be closed on Sunday...many were not open on Saturday. That's all changed.
Yes, there are hypocrites in the church. I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve heard people use this as the reason for not going church. One has to admit that there are hypocrites in government, in medicine, in insurance, in most every other profession. Would you stop going to your doctor, if you knew some doctors were hypocritical? Jesus does not say, “Follow the church,” or “Follow the people.” Jesus says, “Follow me” (Matthew 9:9; Mark 8:34; John 12:26). If the message of the church in promoting the gospel is true (and I believe it is), it will be still true whether or not some people who listen to it and seem to accept it actually do not live it. The church is offering you Christ, not Christians (some have the name but not the deeds) If I were smoking while telling someone not to smoke because it is bad for you, would it change that fact because I’m being hypocritical in telling them that? Remember that church is not a meeting place for saints, but a hospital for sinners. The worst sin you can commit is to say no to God. It is a “Son” issue, not a “sin” issue. You will find hypocrites in the church because we are all sinners. You will also find people who are trying to live their life according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
My daughter is a full time employee of a large church. She and my three adult grand children attend the same church and since COVD 19 they watch their church online.