NewDayNews Casual Corner

advice for potential church goers

Posted By: Jane
Date: Friday, 27 August 2004, at 4:49 p.m.

I have a little experience with this and thought it may come in handy for anyone considering going to a church for fellowship.

1. Just go, sit in the back where you get a clear view of everybody and most people won't notice you crying.

2. Listen to the sermon and the songs, question everything but be open to the possibility of something good coming out of it.

3. Try to disregard previous training that will be whispering nasty little things in your head with judgements about the other people sitting around you and about the message of the sermon.

4. Take the type of Bible you are comfortable with and like reading, but be willing to look at other versions. It's okay to compare and question the differences you will find in the variety of versions. It doesn't make them bad or wrong, just different.

5. Be friendly to the other church goers, all ages. We are all brothers and sisters in the Lord.However, Beware of the wolves in sheeps clothing. They will be hard to discern so keep your eyes open. It still doesn't hurt to be friendly though.

6. Drink the koolaid. I haven't been poisoned yet and it helps to quench thirst.

7. Don't eat the cookies. You don't know who has touched them or if they washed their hands. (Just kidding here. Eat the cookies.)

8. Stay away from the babies and the women who hold them. The babies cry and usually the women won't leave. Or if they do leave they are very wiggly about it and it disturbs the others around them. It's okay to admire the babies after the sermon.

9. Whatever you do, "DON'T", (I repeat)"DON'T" start volunteering for anything. People from our background have so many issues to deal with from a spiritual nature that it doesn't help to start volunteering right off the bat. The other church people will be only too happy to have you teach the Sunday school class, (and you will be good at it) but you will be stuck doing it for years and nobody will help you.

10. Keep your money in your pocket where it belongs. Decide for your self where, or if you want to tithe. It is not a requirement regardless of what people say. If you want to give a donation to your church, wait a while, make sure it is something that you can really afford to do. Then feel free to donate whatever or however much you want.

11. Learn the songs. It feels good to sing Christian songs with other people. It doesn't have to be revolutionary to be worship.

12. Pray. Pray about all you see, all you meet and all you hear. Pray for deliverance from past hurts that will come between you and a happy relationship with the Lord. Pray for Joy.

13. Go to church, enjoy the fellowship or stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet. Avoid condemnation about either decision. Jesus loves you regardless of where you are sitting.

I guess that's all for now. All I know is that I found a great deal of happiness in going to church until it became a chore. I did way too much volunteering and I expected too much. For now I am taking a break. I appreciate the church friends who call me and talk with me even though I am considered a pariah at the moment. Someday I will go back to attending church but for now, I am riding my pony.