One of my goals for 2015 was to find the “right” church for my little family (me and my daughter), and while I’ve managed to find a church I’ve also quickly realized that my goal in itself was… wrong. What I intended to do when I decided to find the “right” church was to church shop, find something that felt right, and just bounce if I felt at any time that it wasn’t working out.
And then, you know, shop for a different church.
Don’t tell me you haven’t been there. We live in a world that is constantly telling us that if we’re not happy with something we can just shop for a new version of it. A version that fits our specific needs. There are approximately two and half million different types of toothpaste at the store, and that’s just what we’re brushing our teeth with each day. If you live in the south like me then you know there is quite often literally a church on every corner.
We like choices! There’s nothing wrong with that. Except for when it comes to our relationship with God and His church, because as much as we like to pick and choose all manner of things in our daily lives this isn’t something we should carry over to our spiritual lives.
For the next three weeks, I will focus on three major reasons why this kind of consumerist vision of church is wrong and how it reveals where we truly place our faith.
Today is the easiest reason: there is simply no such thing as the “right” church.
Think about it. Unless you create your own church and it’s a church of one person (which is not actually a church), you are not going to find a church that fulfills every desire, need, and belief you have as a human being.
We have told ourselves the myth that we can find the “right” church as a means of continuing to center our lives on ourselves and our wants. A church that is the perfect fit for you doesn’t mean it’s a perfect church. It just means you’ve managed to find a church perfectly okay with your sins and a church that probably isn’t going to challenge you to grow.
There’s no perfect church, because we are not perfect people. And the church is made up of us: fallible, hypocritical sinners.
For some of us, searching for the “right” church is really symptomatic of us wrestling with our own beliefs, doubts, and sins. What this tell us it that what we want is to avoid getting honest with ourselves by focusing on the performance of religion rather than the heart of Christ.
But what God wants for us is to be in the church: the body of people who worship Him. The kind of music, the distance from your house, your comfort level? Those are not things that God is concerned about at all – those are worldly things that we let get in the way of our relationship with God.
Rachel blogs at Choose Happy, and spends the majority of her free time chasing a 2 year old. She was not raised in a religious home, and was an atheist before God found her and made her His.
I think that if we are all concerned (super concerned, by the way) about BEING the right church, then we'll really be making the Lord proud. Everything we do, as God's children, especially when it comes to choosing (I used that word because I can't think of a more appropriate one now) where we worship, should really be WHAT GOD WANTS!
"Church" – the gathering of the saints is about SERVICE. Finding the "right" church (which does not exist) is therefore in the line of "Dear Lord, where do you want me to serve You and Your children as we worship You together in the beauty of Your holiness as You come down to bless us with Your Presence and glory?"
Thanks for pointing this out. It's rarely talked about.
[P.S: I'm sorry, Rachel, this is turning into part 2 of your series. Didn't mean to. :)]
– Buife
@dGodKindofLove
http://thegodkindoflove.blogspot.com
Amen! Such a great point. The people who hop from church to church and always find something wrong with the congregation just drive me bonkers. The church isn't there to meet all your specific needs. The church is there to give you opportunities to meet the needs of others! Yes your most important spiritual needs should be met along the way, but that's a happy side effect!
So true! Thanks for sharing with The Peony Project Rachel!
Love this! I am a pastors wife. – So much truth here. ??