What's your story?

Do you go to church? 


This question is not meant to provoke any judgement whatsoever. I was just wondering... 
If you do go, what makes you leave your home on your day off with the intention of "going to church"? If you don't go to church, why not? Do you think attending church makes a difference in your life? If Sunday is not a day off for you, do you wish you were able to attend church? What would "the best worship service ever" be like? 


If you have been following this blog recently, you may know that I have been thinking a whole lot about kids and church (see blogs: "Please help" and "More help please"). As I think about the way church influences children, I can't help but think about how kids grow up. (Profound, I know!) Maybe as you read this now, you have memories of how you viewed church as a child. Perhaps is was "that place those kids go", "your sanctuary", "that place you were dragged", "that place you dragged others to", "that place where you sit still so you can have the snacks"... Somewhere along the line, I suspect you developed your own opinion about why you went or why you didn't go. Would you mind telling me how that opinion happened? It can be positive or negative. 


If it is negative, I'm sorry. I wish I could know that all Christians at all times were doing justice to represent the name of Christ. I wish I never saw on the news that a church somewhere was violently destroying what Christ came to build. I wish more conversations about church were filled with fond memories of community, spiritual journey, serving others, meeting each other's needs, supporting each other "in the valley as well as on the mountain tops". I wish I had never been I part of anything negative in the church, but I know that's not true. Church is full, and I mean FULL, of the good, the bad, and the ugly. As a wonderful mentor once said to me, "Church is full of flawed people which means, inevitably, there will be screw-ups. But if we were weren't flawed, we wouldn't need Jesus."


I am asking for your stories and opinions, and so I thought perhaps, I should share mine. 


As a baby, I was sprinkled in the Methodist church that my grandparents attended and around age 3, my mom and step-dad found a Baptist church. I loved that church as a child and have many fond memories of children's choirs, Sunday Schools, being baptized, church picnics, Vacation Bible Schools, etc. If the church doors were opened, my family was probably there. One year, the economy took a downward turn and my step-dad was laid off from his job. My family had always been a part of "adopting" other families at Christmas. But that year our church "adopted" us. I remember learning as a family that blessing are two-fold: those who give and those who receive. My mom's first instinct was to refuse the offer from the church, but she new that we would be taking away from the joy of those who wanted to help our family. It was simultaneously a lesson in humility and beautiful providence. 
At times in my high school years, I thought I disliked church. In retrospect I see that we were hormonally-challenged teenagers addicted to drama and faux independence. God bless youth pastors! As time usually does bring healing, we made it through those times together. However, if my church journey had stopped there I would have been left with a very bitter taste. Thankfully, college brought real independence as I searched for a new church for the first time in my life. My family had been (and still is) at that same church I grew up in; therefore, moving away from my family and church family was a very "new" experience. I learned that every church was different in every way possible from music and preaching to friendliness and kids' programs. I wanted to find "the perfect church" and realized that is an oxymoron, but I finally understood more than ever church is about being able to worship God than about who else was going to be there. 
Now my view of church has changed even more as Ryan and I dreamed of church ministry throughout the process of Ryan completing his masters of divinity and now as he serves as the minister of a wonderful Disciples of Christ church in the mountains of New Mexico. 


I have mentioned three different denominations that have impacted my spiritual journey but to be honest, it was never about the denominations, but the people in each of the different churches. I think the greatest gift a church can offer a community of participating members and visitors is a worshipful, loving environment. My desire for a person on Sunday morning is to walk into a place that is saturated with love, filled with people desiring growth for themselves as well as a servant's heart that will enable others' growth as well. (This may mean responding to an internal tug- the kind of tug you feel when you hear about a need whether it is within the church walls or within the greater community.) My desire for each heart present is to leave full, each mind to leave inspired and challenged, and each soul to leave touched.


I have come to see that church is a melting pot of personalities influenced by previous personal experiences. I hope you feel like you are a part of that melting pot and that "church" would not be the same without what you have to offer, even if that means offering a second chance to "church".


*Please leave your thoughts as comments and please notice the label on this post is "church". If comments are left that you disagree with, I ask you to respect freedom of speech and the right to leave an opinion. I am asking for honesty and am genuinely interested in your story.