Why go to church?
Posted by Todd Rhoades in Leadership on Feb 7th, 2011 | 17 commentsHow would you respond to this letter to the editor?
“I’ve gone for 30 years now,†he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 203,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.â€
OK… let’s have your best answer…
Todd
17 Responses to “ “Why go to church?”
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The letter highlights the fallacy in many churches: namely, that preaching alone is the be-all and end-all of Sunday morning in particular or worship in general. Personally, I think a lot of pastors spend way too much time in sermon preparation, at the expense of pastoral care and administrative excellence. If it’s “one of those weeks” (three funerals, pastor’s wife and kids are ill, a crush of people in the hospital…), it’s OK if the people get no sermon at all once in a while, or perhaps a great sermon from the timeless preachers (See below), in favor of time spent in prayer and Scripture.
On the flip side, the best sermons are topical and timely. Few preachers achieve a timeless quality (St Paul and St John Chrysostom being perhaps the greatest examples), but that doesn’t mean the others are worthless. Our hearers are shaped by what we preach. Just because an individual sermon isn’t remembered doesn’t mean that the themes in the sermon — which repeat with some frequency — are forgotten. We don’t remember every lecture our parents gave us, either, but we are formed by their guidance. So it is with our sermons.
Dear church departure candidate:
Thank you for finally saying what millions of people around the world would like say. I agree, what is the point? I can’t remember one sermon either. Let’s cash out.
However, while were at it, can you help me do the same for my children? You see, I don’t remember one single math, science, or health lesson either so let’s forget school and education in general! Even more so is my annoyance with sports games. Year to year thousands of people engage with sports but really I don’t remember one single skill I learned or game I played so let’s just cancel the entire world of sports. Mark Twain and William Shakespeare will be sorry to know that i struggle with remembering key characters and scenes from their material as well so let’s call the publishers and cease to print these materials. What is the point since I can’t remember one single thing?
It is a wonder that I am able to walk, talk, and think critically since I can’t recall the educational aspects of my life. Weird eh? Maybe the problem is that true education is the redundancy of topics and issues in our lives and the key to learning is an active engagement in places and with people who can help us in that process.
Don’t give up on church. You are the person spiritually who has come as the collection of 203,000 sermons. Each one reminded you to walk one step at a time. Even if you forget the process, you still learned it along the way. While we are at it, I think I’ll keep my daughters enrolled in school, sports, and buying books.
God bless.
First, my wife hs cooked now for me (I cook sometimes also) for 11 years, but I can’t remeber most of those meals. Yet I know this, it has kept me filled and growing despite whether I remeber specifics.
Secondly, we are commanded not to foraske the gathering of believers & that includes worshop, prayers & sermons.
Third, many pastors (not all) I know personally spend very little time in sermon preparation & it shows in their sermons are dry and devoid of life. Topical sermons as well had dominated this generation which is one reason why this generation statistically speaking does not know the Bible very well at all. We need both expository preaching through the books of the Bible accompanied with an occasional topical sermon.
Last, we need pastors who will step into the presence of God & spend hours with Him and His word & then we will see our sermons more often come to life & people will grow.
“Topical sermons as well had dominated this generation which is one reason why this generation statistically speaking does not know the Bible very well at all. We need both expository preaching through the books of the Bible accompanied with an occasional topical sermon”
I gotta say, that statement is just a crock of crap. Jesus spoke in topics not verse by verse. Verse by verse “expository” preaching has delivered just as many ignoramuses as poorly done topical sermons, maybe more.
Now back to our regularly scheduled meeting…
Really, Dennis? The fact that I agree with Joseph notwithstanding, there are more effective (and grown-up) ways to express your disagreement.
Kip, see comment below…..
I think we are giving Pastors too much credit. I agree that Pastors should “step in the presence of God.” But I believe “people will grow” when they decide to read/study the Bible for themselves.
There’s a big difference between “going” to church, and “participating” in church, which I would define as loving others and growing in loving others. One “goes to” church much like one goes to Walmart. You go to Walmart get something, but five years later you’ve forgotten that you went there, and you’ve forgotten what you got. It seems to me that one listens to a sermon much like a team listens to its coach before a game; one listens so one can play well. What does it matter what the coach says, if you’re not playing in the game?
Thank you Dennis for your “crock of crap” words. That is very pastorly of you. I have been pastoring for a long time, listening to many good pastors & many boring one’s at well. Look at it this way. God’s word is like thousands of seeds. A topical sermon is just one of those seeds. It will litetally take hundreds of years to really teach the whole Bible bu this method. While the expository keeps the context & provides numerous seeds for spiritual growth. Both methods are important, but expository keeps the context. Calvary Chapel has been extremely successful in following the expository method, spiritually speaking.I have seen so many pastors just read the word & give a sermon that has nothing to with the context. All statistics show this generation is biblically illiterate. We pastors need to wake up and teach ALL of God’s word and counsel.
I’m sorry the “expository” guys don’t like the word ‘crap” and it upsets their exegetical sensibilities. I’ll stick by my comment that the original comment is “Dung”. I’d use it like the Apostle Paul used it, but that’d only serve to really offend the weaker brothers.
One of my friends commented about this 203,000 sermon guy on my website:
“Dear Sir, Are you trying to remember them? How are you applying yourself to the information given? It is not our pastor’s job to make sure we grow in our relationship with Christ — only that we have the opportunity to. Are you taking notes? re-… reading the scripture through out the week? spending time praying for your pastor? are you spending time in the word any other time? Why, as an adult are you trying to hold others responsible for your own personal knowledge and growth? Time to stop being a kid and expecting that the teacher do most of the work!”
That’s about the best answer I heard yet… and it didn’t come from a defensive pastor.
That about says how I feel about
Just did the math – that’s over 130 sermons a week!
Yes…but do you remember the Pastor. Incarnational living is just that…a flesh and blood experience. I remember my mentors and my pastors. Their calling, love and words have been and are real and present to me.
Can’t take credit for this but my mom cooked I don’t know how many meals for me and my siblings over almost 50 some years of my life. There are a few over that time that I remember as extraordinary but more often than not it was good food mixed with great company and a celebratory atmosphere. Those meals set the table for something to happen in me and around me. The sermon is much like that. Without those who have set the table with a good message we would have “starved” to death. Every morsel eaten over the years of listening to preachers, teachers and leaders has fed just one more cell in my own spiritual being. No I don’t remember every meal/sermon but without them, I’d be dead.
I think this is a two-fold situation. First of all a lot of people don’t get anything because they don’t listen, secondly I think when pastors do not preach scripture and use illustrations as their main form of communication that deafens the ears of the people listening and turns them away from the gospel. Not taking away from a good story but pastors have a limited to to preach, 30min to 1 hour to share the gospel and its wasted on a story. the Gospel is the center and when that is compromised for stories to be more “relevant” it hinders.
I think this problem mainly falls on the pastor he has been sitting under. Unless the person saying this is deaf. But we all must agree that god opens eyes and hearts but he also closes them as he chooses. One can only hear the gospel when god opens the heart.
Been a believer and church goer for almost 40 years….don’t remember every word but the message remains in my heart: Jesus is my all in all…he came to set the captives free..I am his and he is mine …he loves me with an everlasting love. .he us my Savior…he has overcome the world
Good. Now that you’re done GOING to church, it’s time to start BEING the church.