Should Christians Go To Church?

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   PhoenixVposted 3 years ago

   Should Christians Go To Church?
   
   

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   Stargrrlposted 3 years ago

   Christians should go to church because they need to convene as a group, they need to take part of the Eucharist, and they need to hear the word of God.  The point of the sermon is to encourage people to live more Godlike.  Unfortunately, sometimes the pastor or priest loses his audience because he does not give people the information they need to hear.

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   The0NatureBoyposted 3 years ago

   Church means "the called out from [the world]" while Christian means "one in the likeness of the anointed one" and Hebrews 10:25 reads "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." That's suggesting, although we are nomads and wandering messengers, we should assemble with those who call themselves Christians but are not if they will allow us to share our understanding.  Every time we meet other actual Christians we will fellowship sharing our understandings and experiences to encourage them and be encouraged by them. 
   
   The latter I do not call going to church but "being church," the first I call "going to church" but one must know they will be allowed to exhort when there.

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   Ericdierkerposted 3 years ago

   I think I can safely assume that what you mean is related to the picture. Church as in a building housing a meeting of Christians to worship and celebrate and study. Well that notion sure sounds like a good idea. I like to worship, celebrate and study and it is fun to do it with many like minded folks. I think Christians "should" go to church. I put in quotes "should" becomes sometimes that concept means to feel guilty if one does not do as they "should". I mean it as that it is a good idea.
   With that said it seems to me that we must be discerning in this good idea because it can turn bad for many reasons. A getting up and going to a church service for the wrong reasons is not a good idea. A going to a church service instead of personal reflection, prayer, meditation, singing and communion is not a good idea. Attending where the Gospel is not taught is probably a bad idea. Going so as to "dress to impress" probably misses the point. Going and hating it but doing it out of some obligation does not sound like a good idea. Perhaps depending on your constituency it is a good or bad idea for a politician. Going because your child really likes the bible study and his friends there may be a great idea or maybe a bad one.
   Generally I do not think it is harmful to go to church. But getting into a really bad church can really mess you up. So many have rejected a whole fundamentally good idea because of bad experiences so sometimes going to church can backfire.
   For me, last week I went for a long stroll and meditation in nature for "church". Tomorrow I will attend and enjoy and learn and commune. I look forward to seeing friends and hearing a great version of a sermon.
   As an interesting note I write a series here called Eric's Sunday Sermon... I have some readers and it feels like church when they read and comment and we share the ideas in common and discuss them. There is even some music and photos. I suppose we must keep an open mind as to what church is nowadays.

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   lawrence01posted 3 years ago

   I'm going to say something a little different to the rest (probably). I think the point of those verses quoted below is for people to meet together to encourage each other.
   In the early church they didn't have buildings or even trained pastors. They did have people who spent time learning from Jesus (the Apostles and the seventy) and people who spent time with them, that's how the early church grew.
   I'm not so sure it really matters about going to what we now call "Church" as in a building but meeting together for mutual benefit is what we should think of
   Another thing to take into consideration is believers in places where its illegal to meet in a church building (Saudi Arabia and North Korea for example) or countries where Christianity is legal but for a Muslim to convert isn't and the Police are watching (Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, India, and many other places).
   Or what about places where its OK but family if they find out about it will kill you for converting and "shaming the family"
   For me, it's important for believers to meet together to encourage each other but that doesn't have to take place in a particular building or on a particular day.

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