Spiritual connection - plugging back in
October 19, 2006 1:58 pm Christianity, FeelingsAt dinner a few nights ago with a bunch of people someone put forth the question “Do you need to go to Church to be spiritually connected to God?”
We took it in turns answering this question, each person having a slightly different view and response.
It got me thinking about it, and I shared a bit of this on Tuesday night at the dinner table. Do I think you need to go to church to be spiritually connected to God?
Well I personally don’t think we need to go to church for spiritual connection, in fact if God is everywhere and always with us then we should be able to have that spiritual connection wherever we are and go. But this doesn’t really work does it? In theory it sounds nice but I know for me that I’m not always engaged with God, in fact often I’m far from it.
Some people say they feel most connected with god when they are alone with Him having a quite time or reading his word. Well I’m not really good at that either, infact if you come to my house and look on the book shelf you will see about 8 different journals and note books that I have started over the years in my attempts to have a quiet time each day. So that doesn’t work
How do I get my spiritual connection with god, that’s a good question sometimes its at church I feel really close to God, and I have to say that its not often during the sermon, often I get distracted and turn off or start thinking about other stuff. But then worship I love worship, but not what you think, I’m not into the new music.
Amazing Grace is such a powerful song, I love it so much and when I’m in a room full of people singing that song it sends shivers down my spine, there is something about old hymms, they are sung differently there is more gusto and passion sometimes and I love it.
That is a song that makes me feel spiritually connected to god.
But why don’t I feel connected during the sermon or in quiet times?
I can tell you that its not because the sermons are lame or that the bible isn’t for me, its not because church isn’t for everyone. Its because I get in the way of myself. That sounds a bit confusing but God is everywhere and he is always ready for me to engage with him but its up to me to make the connection, if I sit in church and get bored in a sermon its no reflection on the preacher it’s a reflection on me. I need to make an effoert to get close to god to be challenged by his word. I’m sure many people turn off in sermons, well I’m going to try not to, God has done so much for me, how about I show him some respect and put in the effort to listen and engage with his love.
Going back to the original question “Do you need to go to Church to be spiritually connected to God?”
Well you don’t need it but boy oh boy it’s a good start, in the world we have so many distractions, things that mean we forget about God and are not engaged with his spirit. So church is a time and place where we can drop the world for a few hours and spend time in fellowship with God, I think church is an awesome tool to help us be spiritually connected, when 2 or 3 are gathered in his name there He is in the midst.
Imagine if we could be spiritually connected all the time….what would it take for you to be?
Justine :
Date: October 19, 2006 @ 2:43 pm
As you know, i don’t go to church. I’ve never really.. i wanna say felt the need but thats not it. I don’t know. I think maybe worship and connection is so personal for me that i feel intruded on when others are around? Its so materialistic but i get distracted by what i feel i should be feeling according to others. But they don’t matter! and nor should they. but tell that to my brain when i am with others and trying to pray or worship and bye bye focus and connection.
And to answer your question what would it take? A heck of a lot.. i get so wrapped up in stupid things so often i tune out.. and that’s not good. but it is getting better so yay for that.
I think that’s my 10 cents worth.
and good on you for being an effective procrastination tool.
scott :
Date: October 20, 2006 @ 8:25 am
Good post Howie.
We just went through a series at our church that has concreted my view on this. I think the answer is that we have do have to go to church. Quiet times, personal worship etc is all great but god created us for community. He chose twelve disciples… not none, not one but twelve. I believe you need a good strong church community around you as a Christian.
On top of that I think Home groups (or bible study groups or whatever you want to call them) are also a must. The broader church community is great but it is hard to be inimtately connected to 500 people. Home groups allow a more personal and intimate connection.
And there’s my 11 cents worth.
scott :
Date: October 20, 2006 @ 8:36 am
P.S. I am not just talking about a connection with people but connecting to God.
P.P.S. Howie, Jenny is your wife now… you need to change the rollover text on the link to her blog.
P.P.S. Poo, bum….
tyser :
Date: October 20, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
the serious sid eof howie. Always knew it was there, and it is a tops thing that you can be as good deep as you can be shallow. heaps encouraging bro
howie :
Date: October 20, 2006 @ 1:54 pm
It can all get a bit confusing Scott,
what if someone in the middle of the jungle somewhere becomes a christian but there is no church for them to be part of, all they have is themselves and a small bible that was left to them by a passing missionary. Are they doomed becasue they dont have a church?
And what is church,? church can be a building, a denomination a ritual that you attend weekly, a group of people. there are many meanings for church and i’m not saying that church isnt important i think God has given us church to maker it easier for us to connect with him becasue he knows the world is so damn distracting and church is a chance to escape that and spend time in fellowship with him, but i dont think we ‘need’ church. I dont think the church today is what God intended with church, all the different denominations, different views and ways of doing things. But church is most definatly important.
in response to your second comment, your right i should change the rollover text, infact it is changed now. and poo is brown and funny.
Ty the serious sie of me only comes to the sruface in hot weather when the shallow howie has all evaporated due to the heat.
Tamara :
Date: October 21, 2006 @ 10:36 am
This is my two cents….basically I agree with you that I struggle to worship properly in church. Ironically though in the opposite bits…music doesn’t do it for me, I would much prefer a sermon or quiet time or even just a good discussion about God stuff. So maybe that’s why we do need church. So that we can all fufill our needs for worship, you get your music, I get my sermon and at the end of it all we can all join together to worship our Creator. I don’t believe we were made to be hermit Christians. We were designed for community just as God Himself lives in the community of the trinity.