Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Worship/Teachings

I started going to a new church in April, with a friend who I have known for years and she's struggled with finding a place in the Church too. I went the first time and I really enjoyed it. I filled out the newcomer card and received a nice email welcoming me to the church, offering to meet with me, and opportunities to get to know them and to connect with others.

Wonderful.

That's what I was looking for. I went the next week and filled out the card again, telling them how welcome I felt. I went to the new church a third time. But then something happened the third week. I realized that my friend didn't speak to anyone at the church other than me. She had a few people, but mostly we went in, sang and listened, then we left.

She texted me again to go the following Sunday, but I had to work. The next Sunday, she wasn't in town and I wasn't ready to go alone. So I stayed home and tried to listen to the sermon at my old church, but I let things distract me and gave up. The last few weeks, she has asked if I'm going to church with her, but I haven't responded. It makes me feel like an awful person, but I don't know if the new place is better than the old place.

But I did realize a big problem I have. The new place I started attending has a wonderful worship ministry and I liked how they organized the music. My old church had one male worship leader and a woman who sang the lead and the rest of the team stood in the back like back-up singers with no volume on their mikes. It never felt equal to me. Also, the songs seemed to go on and on; I never knew when one song ended and how many songs he'd cram in before the sermon. I couldn't get into the worship. I always just wanted it to be over.

But the new place had a female worship leader and a set-up that worked. One song to bring the congregation together, then the welcome/sermon, and four songs to close. I enjoyed that.

BUT -- the new church is very much lacking in the sermon area. While I loved the worship, the sermons were boring and I didn't feel challenged or like I learned anything. My old pastor is an incredible and gifted by God teacher. The new sermons... meh. I like the worship at the new church, but I can't get into the sermons, so I'm not sure it is the place for me.

But I still don't have a desire to go to church. I'm still stuck. Now I'm stuck between two churches with really no desire to keep going to either. I can't find a place.