I’m struggling right now with worship in a digital age. Matt and I disagree on the best way to worship on Sunday. We agree that worship is important, but in this modern age when everything is accessible online, is it wrong to substitute church services for listening to a sermon online once in awhile?
Here’s my thought process: there is definite value to attending church, as there are many things done there that cannot be replicated online: connecting with and learning from fellow worshipers, receiving communion, giving an offering to the church, helping your community, etc. It would be wrong to neglect those things entirely. But is it the ONLY way?
I love our church – the pastor and his wife are amazing, the people there are so kind-hearted and friendly, I finally found a place where the sermons truly speak to me, and the music moves me. Plus, Matt and I were married there.
But I find it so hard forge a DEEPER connection. Here’s how the typical service goes for me – we walk in late, find a place to sit, sing 4-5 songs, greet the people around us, contribute to the offering, listen to the sermon, take communion [if it happens to take place that week], make small talk for 10 min after the service, and usually head home to take care of the week’s grocery shopping or other errands. I usually walk away thinking, “what a great message!” But I feel unfulfilled in the lack of connection to the church body as a whole. After 2 and ½ years I still feel like I’m the new kid in school.
Many say that it’s not what the service does for YOU, but what you should be doing for the church, through your spiritual gifts. Even when we attend, other than the offering I don’t feel like we’re really contributing much individually, or that I’m using my spiritual gifts. I’m not even sure what my spiritual gifts ARE, other than being super organized. I’m not leading the songs, or delivering the sermon, or watching kids in the nursery or leading Sunday school. We can barely get there on time to participate in the actual service.
Sometimes I’m tired and just want to sleep in. Or I know we’ll get there late and miss the first 1/3 of the service anyway, which Matt hates. What can I say, we are both night owls, and I have never been a morning person. Some churches offer Saturday evening services, but that’s my “social time”. In a perfect world, church services would be held on Sunday evenings. It is very hard to get up Sunday morning when I know with a click of a button I can stream any number of sermons of my choice on my iPhone and listen to it with my husband in the comfort our PJs over a leisurely breakfast.
But I think the main reason is that our church is a 30 min drive (without traffic) so we don’t live in the church community. That makes it inconvenient to participate in any of the events during the week (such as Bible studies and Taco Tuesdays) and thus difficult to form true friendships within the congregation (with the exception of a few friends we’ve had for years that we met before we found this church). I have never been a fan of small talk. I value deep friendships, where you’re involved in each other’s lives, know a lot about each other, and make a point to be in contact at least every couple weeks.
Obviously not going to church at all wouldn’t be my goal, but is it really that bad to substitute with online sermons once in awhile? I’m the first to admit I am not even close to a Biblical expert, so maybe there are passages that command us to attend a physical church specifically. But the commandment says “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy”. It does not say, “You must go to church in a physical building to honor God”. Is God not present everywhere we ask him to be? Is He not present when I read my Bible or listen to a sermon or pray to Him or praise Him when I sing along to a song on KTIS?
In the past, there was no internet. People had to have a common place to meet to hear a sermon. And towns were small, so everyone knew each other and had that special connection of fellowship. Church was the main social meeting place. Now, we connect via Facebook and email and Skype, and most social events (even for Christians) are not organized by our church. Our lives get busier and busier, and time has to stretch to accommodate church, family, friends, work, our relationship with our spouse, and “me” time.
I love God with all my heart and want my actions to honor Him. What’s a busy believer to do?
You know, there are churches that offer Sunday evening service. They are admittedly few and far between, but they are out there.
ReplyDeleteI know that the St. Paul Cathedral offers two Sunday evening masses, the Newman Center at the U of MN (also Catholic) offers at least one if not two evening masses on Sundays. I imagine the Basilica would offer at least one. If that pattern holds, downtown Minneapolis or near the U of MN campus may be the place to look.
Another thing you could check out are hospital chapels. I personally have only ever attended one or two services, but they may have odd-hour services offered as well. I do appreciate that the social component would be very different there, so that may not be the way to go for you two, but it's an option.
Hope this helps.
Thanks Steve. Actually I am not Catholic, I am Baptist, but appreciate the advice!
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