Is church boring? Ideas on building a vibrant faith
The worship leader said, “Some of you are here with brokenness today, seeking God. Others are here excited to be in God’s presence! Ready to hear from Him, worship Him!”
I was just there. Because it was Sunday, because my family was going. Because it was the thing to do.
My body was physically present; my mind was a million other places.
The worship music was incredible, but I was making mental lists despite their offerings. The fellowship was beautiful; I managed to pay attention for that. The message was powerful and important.
And me? I was just playing the part. Please, tell me I am not the only one here.
 I confess… sometimes? Church is boring. But God? God is never anything but amazing.Â
It’s me.
Are you losing interest in church?
There is more to church than what it offers “us”.
I value community and believe in coming together to worship. I do. I recognize the privilege of having a band and comfy seats and fancy lighting and heat and free coffee.
But that isn’t always where I find God.
Honestly? I just want to be alone with Him.
I want to want to come and be alive with anticipation to be in God’s presence. And many times that happens.
Too often though, I just come. Empty. And I leave only slightly less empty.
This is not the fault of the church
I take responsibility. My mental checklist is very hard to leave outside the sanctuary.
I am distracted by the bright lights and energy. I am distracted by thoughts of what I got done this week, what I’ll write about, what I have yet to do.
And then? I am distracted by my guilt. And I wonder, what is wrong with me? It isn’t about my faith, my beliefs do not falter.
I love God, and I long for His presence. I just find Him easier in the silence.
On the edge of wind-worn path along the sea. Walking and hearing the birds and feeling the sun on my face. Seeing the tears of a suffering friend or feeling the arms of embrace as we celebrate life together.
(have you ever tried Bible Journaling? It makes for a wonderful study tool for the distracted minded. Here is a beginner’s post to try out)
How to build a vibrant faith when church is boring
- Go anyway. Come earlier and sit in the darkest corner where your friend won’t find you and pray. Include margin for the way you relate to God before the service starts. It’ll come
- Extend grace to yourself and remember that He meets us where we are. Lay it all out there to God. He knows our weaknesses…and yes, distraction is a weakness. He’ll help us
- Choose a weightier book, listen to Moody radio, do things that fill the heart and mind with His ways and stories and challenges. There are countless communicators with the right style just for you to relate to
- Consider that church isn’t just about “us”, we are there to be part of God’s family in a tangible way. We can look for ways to reach out to others
- Start a prayer journal, it helps to restore our focus during the drier parts of a faith journey. I used this idea from Across My Kitchen Table
- Remember that community impacts in ways that aren’t immediately visible. Don’t cheat yourself, or others 🙂  Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another
You know, a few years ago I found 2 books that impacted me. Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody and Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton.
I plan on rereading them. Because it matters. Because I am invested. Because He invested in me and I can never thank Him enough.Â
Do you ever feel this way? If so, tell us how you approach your own journey…
Resources to grow your faith:
- Confessions of a Prayer Slacker
- Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God
- But… Church is Boring!: Bible Study for Young People who Don’t Want to Go to Church
- The Butterfly Blueprint: How to Renew Your Mind and Grow Your Faith
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Christa – I’ve been there – bored stiff in church, my mind wandering. (We found another church home.) You talked about God meeting us where we are. I agree. One of the books that really impacted me is Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. Really made a difference in my life.
Blessings,
Joan
Spot. On. I’ve been there, too, Christa. It’s a journey, isn’t it? Hopping from church to church in our new city brought me to the only solution I could find. Prayer. He brought us to the right place for right now. And, you’re right. It isn’t about us. We are part of a much larger Body. Great post. xo
Oh- Sweet friend- you have said what I feel so often. My heart loves God … but the ‘church”… is my hard place. I feel guilty for not wanting to go… but I go… usually. Then I feel guilty for not going. Sigh. We go to a large… really large church. I can be lost there -although we have been there for over 30 years and know many.This week.. we went to a different church… smaller much smaller.. 150 ish people… I wept during worship. Perhaps I have become stagnant… I only know my heart longs for more.
Thanks for being so courageous to write what is real.. and true.. and hard to say. hugs.. Nancy
http://www.simplyabundantlife.com
The experience of “church” seems to be so dependent on me, my mood, my feelings that day. I’m going through Sacred Rhythms with a couple of friends right now. It’s not been as easy to embrace the disciplines as I thought it would be.
Beautiful Christa! <3
If people would be honest, I think it happens to everyone. My problem lies with not preparing my heart for worship prior to the service. My husband and I often are enjoying our coffee and breakfast with our favorite Sunday morning DIY program. Then, we expect God to touch us in a miraculous way while there. We fail to seek His face, early in the morning. I’m not sure why I treat Saturdays and Sundays as though I’m on a spiritual vacation, but Monday through Friday I stay on schedule with my prayer and devotions. If I’m bored, I can blame no one but myself.
I am so with you, Christa. I too feel the Lord most keenly in the silence. I sometimes wonder why I bother going to church… For me, to worship in silence is bliss. Fellowship in my living room with a cup of coffee and a friend is fulfilling. Sunday morning chaos? Not so much. The teaching is the only thing that drives me and I could listen on the radio instead… I’m so glad I am not alone in these kinds of feelings. Thank you for the encouragement to keep on. I do know that the benefits of corporate church are there whether I ‘feel’ them or not. I think I need to ponder this for a reset.
I’ve been there too Christa. And I find it’s a cycle. There are times when church and community are a relief and a refuge. Other times, I am suffocated by it all. Either way, it’s always me. My needs being met. My desires being fulfilled. I can be this empty, selfish person at times.
Also like you I find God is closest in my solitude and silence. It’s why I understood and agreed with Donald Millers post last month about the same thing. Barbara Brown Taylor who wrote Leaving Church is also a favorite author of mine, so I’ve given this a lot of thought.
There seems to be a whole load of believers jumping ship in search of a non-church church experience. Unfortunately, I think we may eventually find that a huge mistake. The church has survived this long for a reason, and for all the reasons you stated, we should stay with it even in the rough times. 🙂
Very good post~
Yep, at times, my mind wanders. Of course it does. Worship is, IMO, another “Discipline” of sorts that we NEED to do. The real “Jesus stuff” happens on the other side of those sanctuary doors.
It is the coming together, and praising God together that strengthens the bonds between believers themselves, and between them and God.
So yep, prepare before worship to meet God, along with others, and to give Him praise to be able to do so!! Could be that we lived somewhere that they shoot people for having Christian worship. Could be in N. Korea for instance….or China…etc.
We all have our “diffferent” times with God. We just have to learn how to utilize those times to HEAR what He has to say to us.
That’s bout all I have to say I reckon. Like this post….
~Sean
I am going to be completely honest here. I was raised an atheist so I never really attended church. However, somewhere in my teen years, I caught myself talking to God. I wouldn’t say that I turned into a devout Christian, Catholic, or anything else. I just know that sometimes I talk to God. I pray when hard times hit me. I pray for my friends, my children, and my family. However, I believe that it’s not really necessary to go to Church to have a relationship with God. You can have faith in your life without including church. The relationship with God can be celebrated in so many different ways, and that’s the only thing that matters in the end.
I am so pleased to read these comments, your points of view. I agree with some, feel differently than others. But that isn’t the point, is it? It is good to have open conversation to hear the heart of others, to understand where we each are coming from. Thank you all for your honest input, interesting!