How to enjoy church?
 

If I was to visit a church how would I make sure I enjoy the visit instead of hate it?

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

:popcorn2

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

(And it wasn't until after I hit the post button that I realized, I just answered your question! Bring popcorn! :lol

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Go with expectations of joy, and just being in the presence of God.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Don't bring a critical spirit. Don't expect everything to be exactly as you prefer it to be.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

But we're in the presence of God all the time.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Yes, we are.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

amen

:grampa

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Go with great expectations - expecting to fellowship with the Children of God. Don't go looking for faults. Go looking for good.

I heard a story one time about 2 people who moved from a small town. The first had never liked the town to begin with and when they moved to the new place - guess what - it was just like the one they left. The second person had always loved their little town and the friendly people in it. When they moved to their new place - guess what - it was just like the place they had just left.

Hmmmm............

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

If you were going to ride a roller coaster, what would you do to make sure you enjoyed the experience rather than hated it?
Expect to enjoy it.
Go with the intention of enjoying it, if not for your sake, at least for the sake of those with you.
Smile.
Go with someone who really loves going.
Relax.
Enjoy the ride.
Remain accepting of the twists and turns it may throw you.
Remember, it was your decision to go.
Look for something about it to enjoy.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Bring your ipod just in case the sermon's not good.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

:shocked:

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

I can't stand "church". The repetitive song service of endlessly repeating songs which would make any Hindu mantra proud, followed by endless announcements and choir, then a "message" ended with a loooooonnnnnng alter service. All the while I am thinking about work the next day.

I'm sorry, but my church associations with the UPC which were formed when I was in my teens are still with me like they were yesterday.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Be positive, think happy thoughts :thumbsup

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Go because you want to, not because someone has hounded you for two weeks and you just want to get them off your back.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

That's kind of like asking "I went to war in Iraq and have serious post traumatic stress disorder. I am going to go to an area that I am not sure if it has real bombs and guns or if it is just fireworks and noise. How can I make sure I enjoy going?"

In my opinion, you can't. You don't know for sure what you are getting into.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

So the general consensus is basically that if I go and think happy thoughts and expect to have a good time then I will? For some reason I'm skeptical that it works that way...

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Interesting.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

I can relate. Usually I am just thinking about getting out of there though.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Would be nice if it worked that way, but it my opinion it is wishful thinking. (no offense meant to those who think so...)

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

I was being sarcastic.

Get what you can out of it, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater but I don't believe in being dishonest just because people get their panties in a wad if you are honest to admit you don't care for everything that goes on in a service.

I have my own pet peeves. My biggest is the "sing the same 3 words over and over and over and over and over until bro so and so runs the aisle"...

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Appreciate people's quirks instead of being annoyed by them. God loves people; if you do the same, you'll see the people who orchestrate a church *service* in a different light.

The one thing most of us have in common is that we love God. The things most of us have in common when we attend church is that we love God and we love getting together with other people who do.

Approach attending church as being about getting to know people and loving God together instead of having a laundry list of the things that please you and the things that don't. You'll have a better experience no matter what the specifics.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

I can generally have a "good time" just about anywhere, mainly because I have a good sense of humor and I don't put people on pedestals. Expect to be disappointed, and don't make too much out of your disappointment. It's really not all that significant in the grand scheme of things. ;)

There are definitely some environments that can't be enjoyable. They're more rare, IMO. I have a hard time listening to preachers who remind me of my former pastor. They're usually the really old school, dogmatic types. I can sit through a sermon, and be respectful, but it does turn my stomach.

In most cases, I can filter out the bad and enjoy the good stuff.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Get you an iPad! You can download the Bible and a Solitaire game. If a deacon walks by flip to the Bible. If things get boring, flip to Solitaire! j/k :toofunny :grampa

BT

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

I caught my Dad reading the Sports section during his assistant pastor's sermon one Sunday. He had it stuck between the pages of his Bible. :D :D :D

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

I don't read that sports stuff! You know that sports is all a sin! Competition is wrong....don't you know! :bigbaby :toofunny :girlytantrum :grampa

BT j/k

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

I adore the singers who sing out of tune and screech at you as they attempt to sing outside their range. Oh, and the sound system that is turned up so loud your ears are buzzing afterwards beyond anything experienced at a worldly rock concert. Someone say "AMEN!" ... "amen." "Come on, this is a Pentecostal worship service! Get with the program!" Yeah, love that.

But seriously, these days, I go for the meat of God's word. I want to be fed. Like a sheep. Baaaaaaa....

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Yeah, I wish I could do that, but I keep diving under tables when a car backfires, thinking it is a bomb going off.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Volunteer to operate the screen the words project on. I know one person who would do that and play Farmville on the computer system--thankfully he never accidentally ran Farmville onto the screen.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Top Ten Ways to Enjoy Church

10. From a distance.

9. Imagine the preacher wearing a Peewee Herman mask.

8. Say "amen!" at inappropriate times.

7. Keep glancing at the person behind you, with a paranoid look on your face.

6. Start a "wave".

5. Raise your hand and ask to be excused to use the rest room, at least five times.

4. Sing way louder than anyone around you, and slightly off key.

3. Wear a Storm Trooper costume.

2. Take notes in pig latin.

And the number one way to enjoy church:

1. BYOB!

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

:ursofunny:ursofunny:ursofunny:ursofunny

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

:ursofunny:ursofunny:ursofunny

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

15. Bring a camera with you and go wild snapping pictures of everyone and everything during the entire service. Immediately after wards, go home and post the most embarrassing on your Facebook page.

14. Hold a notebook and pen and occasionally write in it while staring at other people. Use a disapproving look as you do it.

13. During song service, hold a cigarette lighter or candle, lit of course, and wave it back and forth above your head. Holding a glass bottle of coke in the other hand during this is optional.

12. Say "mmmmmm, excuse me..." in a voice just loud enough for those within a 10-15 foot radius to hear. Do it again at quarter hour intervals.

11. Bring in a foot-long Subway sub (doesn't matter what kind) and 32 oz drink and start eating when everyone is finally seated. Don't worry about about the sound the wrapper and straw makes, people will understand.

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

:toofunny

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

Fall asleep on the comfortable padded pew during the sermon and snore loudly. (This actually happened to me once as a teenager).

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

:toofunny

Just once!? I fell asleep at the controls in the P.A. booth! Many times! :toofunny

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

If you speak a second language, pray in that language and watch everyone explode around you. :winkgrin

Re: How to enjoy church?
 

What if you know Morse code?