Have you ever left a conversation and hours later put words to what you wanted to say? This happens almost every time I am involved in a conversation, specifically meaningful ones. Some people ask me why I am always so quiet during conversations, and some people probably just think I'm shy. Regardless of what people think, it is the reason I have started this Blog, and have called it "Two Seconds Too Late," even though it should be titled something like "A few hours too late" but that just doesn't flow as well. Well, enough of the intro, let’s get to the first real Blog.
Relatively recently my wife and I were led to stop attending church. This was a big step for both of us, as we have regularly attended church since the beginnings of our lives. Ever since we have made this decision, it has brought on an incredible amount of conversations regarding the topic of church. In the beginning, I wasn't so good at answering questions, so I will try to address many concerns, issues, and my general state of mind here.
Now, we did not stop attending church because our belief system had changed, in fact, we stopped attending church because we felt it was what our God was telling us to do. Weird huh? Why would God ever want you to stop going to church?
Well, I believe one of the key concepts of attending church is to build a vast and strong community with other believers. Humans always want interaction with other humans, specifically with humans of similar styles. That is why athletes play sports together and philosophers schedule tea time with each other. People get along with people that are similar to them, and they are fueled by these people as well. Competition in the sports world always pushes the limit and forces athletes to get stronger, faster, and better, just as conversation and interaction with other believers sparks deeper thought and connection with God. We were not achieving this community at church, and it wasn't from lack of effort.
I believe God wanted my wife and me to get away from the institution of church, and to build a community free of obligations and judgment. God wanted us to transition from a religious obligation, into a relational reality. He wanted us to be a part of a community of believers who do everything from hiking and snowboarding to indulging in thought about the origins of the universe together. This community would be full of trust, love and friendship. When I think of the first church, I picture people hanging out together in small groups, with excitement about what is to come, and what they believe God is telling them to do next. They would support each other, and the experienced would give advice in their area of expertise. This first church would not have a hierarchy or a list of people "in charge." They would get as close to God as they could, and wait and listen to see what He desired them to do next. These people would never just do something because doing something is better than nothing, instead realization would occur; God has already done everything and has us in this world to do relatively simple things. These things would be to spread the word of their beliefs by how they acted around others, and by showing genuine love towards others, not by judging or shouting exclaiming the "truth" in the middle of a plaza.
Going to church should not be a thing you do because you feel it is your obligation, or because your parents do it. It should be an act of passion and desire, and above all else, it should be because you feel God is leading you to that building. God was not leading me to the building or the other building down the street; in fact he was leading me far from it. I found myself frustrated when I would leave church instead of rejuvenated. I was frustrated at the behavior of people, and the lack of love towards other people shown. The church should not be an institution full of rituals, obligation, and busy bodies. God's church is not the institution, it is the body of believers who are living full of love and excitement because of who they know, and who loves them. I am sure there are great churches out there, but I know there are great people and believers out there dying to be a part of a community, and I want to know them and be a part of their lives.
Community can be the building block to great things, and I believe it is not stressed near enough in life, let alone in religion. Our society has become entirely too independent, we need to get over ourselves and remember how to work with, and support one another. The first building block which should fall in place for this community is a deep and true relationship with God. Instead of feeling lonely because you feel you are not a part of a community, focus on your relationship with God. Once a relationship with God is built strong, relationships with other people can reach levels never dreamed of. God's church is not a lonely one, it is packed full of believers, and these people need each other. They need each other to drop the unnecessary obligations in their life, the distractions which lead them away from each other and their Father. Once we, the Church, put our focus back on the love God has for us, and the love we have for each other, great things can and will happen.
