December 27, 2011
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The Church And I: Ever Meet God in Church?
This is an old series that I decided to resurrect for a moment. I've attended church pretty much since I was born (we had a church in our house growing up. Try skipping church when it's taking place in your own basement!). It's been interesting to wonder, have I met God more inside the church, or have I met God more outside the church?
I definitely remember one church I went to where I felt like I met God there all the time. I would come out feeling spiritually refreshed, like I really had learned something and felt my needs were met. How about you? When you attended church (or synagogue, or mosque: this is a very open-ended question), did you experience God there? Or did you feel nothing?
Comments (18)
I definitely experience God there and I rarely go to a church. For me God is everywhere so I can experience God everywhere if I am willing to pay attention. I
I don't believe experiencing God is all about feeling, but yes, I've definitely experienced God in some churches I've been to, less in others. The thing is, God is everywhere, and I experience Him in random places all the time. The question, for me, is whether a church preaches the Word of God accurately and honors Him in the way they operate. When those things are present, I expect to meet the Spirit of God there.
Can't say that I have. Though, when I was 17... I could've sworn I was speaking tongue for a few seconds. Dunno what came over me. Mini-convulsion? It felt weird. I cussed just to feel "clean" Can't say God talks me much. He seems to let me be what I be. /shrug
Sometimes. But more often than not, going to church makes me feel burdened with an artificial sense of responsibility or guilt than an experience with God.
On the other hand, I meet God a lot on the treadmill as I listen to John Piper podcasts or my Chris Tomlin songs. It might be the rush of endorphin but it primes me for quiet time really well.
Happy Holidays, John!
I have an amazing church and I always feel the presence of God heavily when I am there. I always leave feeling so amazing. I have been to other churches where I have not felt Him as much. Also, when I'm in nature, I am very aware of Him. I really like to pray and read my bible outside when I'm able to.
One church i felt like i did for a time. then later that same church became a place where i just got further from God.
Many churches i've been to need to stop deluding themselves and just call themselves what they are (social club, theater, military recruiting station, self-esteem clinic, etc.).
I've attended church quite regularly since I've been a Christian, sometimes multiple times per week. I would think it odd if I didn't meet God there because I experience His presence most everywhere at times. It's not just a "Jesus and me" kind of thing. Often it's Jesus and us. Sometimes it's a feeling - probably like an affirmation of His love or a special joy. Sometimes it's in a word from the sermon or a particular song message...so many ways, but not the same every time.
This was a great question!
To be honest it seems like the times I've felt that I've met with God haven't really been at church.. More so at home or when I'm on my own really seeking him. At church I learn about Him, but I wouldn't say that I have really felt like any kind of "meeting" in a real sense.. I don't know.. Maybe I'm too guarded at church?
Nothing. But maybe it's cause I can't sing.
My experience with the presence of God in my life has been both at church and at home, in great joys and in great sorrows. God does not exist in once place and not in another, such as church and outside of it, so why do we thing he is in one place? We go to church because of the community, because of growth, and because of remembrance, but if we only limit God to church then we miss the bigger picture and if we limit God ot the outside we forget about the commuity of believers.
God does his thing. The Church does hers. I do my thing. Somehow it works out.
The Holy Spirit lives within me, so God is always with me. When I am at Church, it is a different experience. Worshiping with your family is a really nice experience and hearing the Word taught with authority from the leaders is empowering. When I am not at Church, it is more of an intimate time between myself and God. They are both good.
I feel anger, wrath, fear, confusion, alienated, humiliated, disrespected, ignored, spit in, people talk about me behind my back. One time this guy said to another, ” here comes the creep.”
Until I have a talk with God, shake his hand, go for a walk with him, and we learn from each other - I have not met God.
I agree with what C_L_O_G said... that God is everywhere and all I have to do is take time to let Him in.
I don't know that we are meant to find God in the church. The church is a man-made construct, instructed by God to bring us together as a people, so that we may serve God by serving one another. "Love your brother as yourself", "share of your abundance with one another". God wants us to take care of each other.
I find God the way Jesus found God... by going off by myself to meditate in prayer and listen for my Father's voice,
but also not forsaking instruction. I believe in Bible study where we participate, more than I believe in listening to sermons in church. How many really listen, and then seek answer to questions afterward, and how many are just biding their time through it with their minds on everything else? Because if we do not read and know the Word of God then His word can not come to live in us. We must seek Him in His Word.
We need to do all of it... seek Him in prayer and meditation,
convene together in fellowship in the church,
and 'study to show thyself approved', if we are to find God.
Christians should use all the means of grace God has provided, which include assembling together with the church (including worship, reading & preaching of the Word & the sacraments), as well as walking in obedience to God's commands & confessing sin, private Bible reading & study & Scripture meditation, worship, prayer, meeting together with other Christians, confession, living a holy life, etc., etc.); however, since God is sovereign, though He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and though He has promised to draw near to those who draw near to Him through Christ, it is always up to Him as to when and where and how He will meet with us. That's part of the romance of the Christian life, and part of what we see happening in the Song of Solomon.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:...
The emphasis there: *I* will pour...
Or, in Isaiah 30:
18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.
In other words, God does hear the cries of His people, but it is all HIS timing as to when He will show Himself and come to us, and that is all according to what glorifies Him most and is best for us.
(Just to clarify: I'm talking here about those times when God manifests Himself to us in real, vital communion with Himself. I'm not talking about a mere emotional experience, which many people take to be meeting with God – but rather a true movement and communication of the Spirit of God to our souls.)
"There, IF thy Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,
Oh, with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her God!"
~ William Cowper
It's astounding that we have a God who not only wants to save us from damnation but also wants us to sup with Him! ~ Rev. 3:20.
FYI: I added obedience and confession into that b/c in John 14, Jesus links God's manifesting Himself to us with our obedience, plus we can't expect to have fellowship with God if we are walking in darkness and have unconfessed sin (e.g.- I John 1).
I'll add here that the greatest fuel for experiencing that true communion with God is going deeper and deeper into the Scripture and beginning to examine the awesome person of God in all His marvelous and infinite facets.
And, so often we think about meeting with God as that refreshing and He certainly does do that for us, but we need to be careful not to limit it to that b/c our meeting w/ God also includes such instances as His coming to convict us of sin, or His humbling us as He shows us His holiness and our unworthiness.
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Now, to answer your question
- I've met with God (or rather God has met with me) more times outside church, but that's primarily because I spend a relatively small amount of time at church compared to all the hours I spend elsewhere.
church us just once a week. I experience him more outside those 4 walls just because I get to experience Him everyday.
I definitely meet God at church. I also have gone since I was a baby! And through the years, I've also found it very true that I sense God's presence more profoundly at some compared to others. My two cents on why that is is that I believe that "God is Love" means much more than just "He is loving", it has to do with the fact that love isn't a solitary experience. Love exists within relationship, and the discernible quality of relationship between members of a church I find to be a big factor in whether I sense God is there or not.
I think I can honestly say that overall I've met God about the same at church as on my own, though it's been rare to feel both in say any given week or month!
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