Beyond frustrated

I haven't been to church in a couple of years... I can definitely relate! I just cannot put up with a show or with the lack of content. I posted a while back on RITAN an article about the exodus from church of a great number of Christians - mature ones, not backslidden. It appears this is a worldwide phenomena. I find it interesting that Jesus knocks on the door of the Laodicean church... He doesn't appear to be in it.
I believe there are some good congregations out there- been part of some wonderful churches. Now, I don't feel like I fit in. Maybe we've been called out of it for a season. My husband and I feel similarly, and when we both sense it is time to go back, we'll start searching again. Stangely, I feel I've grown much more in the Lord outside of a physical congregation. Something is different in church nowadays and I can't put my finger on it. I just know that I am not quite at ease there.

I absolutely agree with you all. Lavoitheway I could have written your post, that is exactly how I have been feeling. Up until a few months ago I was attending church every Sunday, I can't explain it, it wasn't so much of what the Pastor was preaching, because it was sound doctrine and he is a wonderful Pastor. I just didn't feel as if I was learning anything, nor did I feel uplifted in anyway. I found myself just wanting to leave, finally I decided, why go just to make an appearance or because everyone says we must attend Church on Sunday because your not a good Christian if you don't. I have found that reading my Bible and studying scripture on my own, listening to my favorite Bible teachers on CD that I am learning more than just going and sitting in a Pew for 2 hours. Anyway that is how I see it, and the funny thing is I have yet to feel any guilt by not going. I believe that as long as we are in God's Word and relate to people whether online or on a personal basis and sharing our views and love of the Savior would be the most important thing we can do as Christians.

I'm kinda in the same boat in terms of learning more online than in church...
but neither willingly nor happily! I should be hearing such teaching from the pulpit!

...is he laughing at the pictures, or his wife?

Don't make me come down there, Benjamin!  Stop sticking your tongue out at me!...lol....but, methinks he's laughing at both.
Annemc, I know what you mean. In those days, church was more like home Bible studies and in small grouos.  Not these huge assemblies as we see especially on t.v.  That's why I see the internet as a blessing.  Even if not in person, we can still study and fellowship with eachother online.  Even if it's with a few people.
By the way, great to see you here and...

I'm sort of in a similar situation. Didn't really know any one that wasn't either an atheist or a Catholic, or any good churches around here, and the Evangelical Baptist church I found when I was looking to get baptised a few months ago I guess is alright, in terms of both doctrine and people, but I haven't been able to make much progress when it comes to making friends with the folks around my age. They are really nice and all, but they're also all already well acquainted with one another, and I always feel like the odd one out because I don't really know anyone there that well, and the fact that I've always been sort of socially anxious does not help. In addition, even though it's the easiest to get to, it's all the way up in the city, and I have to take the train there, which takes time, and makes me have to get up way too early on Sundays. On Saturdays it's not the same problem, but I still have to take train, and from what I've seen it's only to be there for an hour and a half at the most, and I typically never get any actual fellowship out of it. The money spent on the train ticket also adds up, especially if I were to go every time, although I don't like to think about this particular aspect because my faith is not on money, and the Lord provides for us. All these things contribute to my laziness, and I end up not going most of the time. I think I've only went like three times so far, and I still haven't been baptised because they only do it in a river in late Spring/Summer due to the cold on the other times. I'll keep going because I still want to get baptised and I have no better way, and maybe things will change in the future, but as of right now I find more productivity and growth in reading the Bible and spending time with the Lord at home and fellowshipping with you guys. As for publicly acknowledging my faith, well, I think the Lord finds other ways to help me do that for now at least.

I think we all just need to trust Him wherever He leads us. He knows the best ways to go about things, afterall.

I couldn't agree more, and I have heard this from so many Christians about their home churches, I am beginning to wonder why this is, I guess you could call it an end time sign.  God knows the intent and desires of our hearts and that is what counts in the end, my trust is in Our Lord and His Word above all else which is where it should be regardless if it's in a church building or at home that to me is the bottom line.


Well said BrotherJohn!!!..  And it's good to see you posting.  God Bless you.

hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa..I cannot believe you found that video, John.  I was laughing do hard.  With the doll having self esteem issues..well..that's just my guess.

It's so good to know I'm not alone in this! I haven't been to church in almost 2yrs. All my friends think I'm backslidden, lazy and self-centred. They think I left church because it wasn't aimed at me. What they can't seem to understand is that I left church because it isn't aimed at God!
Like you Shiloh, I am sick to death of all the jokes, particularly the in-jokes that you have to be one of the 'in-crowd' to understand. The bible says we shouldn't show favouritism when we meet (James 2 - I think often our favouritism is not towards the rich, but towards the cool, the trendy people), but that's what these jokes do...along with lowering church to 'feel-good entertainment'. They take our eyes off God, and focus them on ourselves.
Brother John, I relate to the not fitting in, and I've been a Christian and church-goer my whole life! It just seems that I and the people at my last church have very different reasons for going to church. I believe 'church' is the family of God meeting together to worship God and draw closer to Him as we learn more of His word. I believe God is worthy of us giving Him our time. My last church(es) thought that was a waste of our time and that we should be devoted to evangelism. They believe church is for reaching non-believers.

And this is why I no longer feel guilty about not going to 'church'. I really do wonder if what is called church today is what God means by church. God wants His people to meet together to worship Him, encourage one another with psalms and hymns, and study His word. Any group of people doing that is church. When the bible tells us not to stop meeting together (Hebrews 10:25), God means that He wants us to meet with like-minded people; His children. Not just people who go to an organisation that call themselves church. If we go on Sundays to a 'church' whose goal is not to worship God, then is that really the true church? The bible is not possibly telling us to meet with these people.
I guess what I'm saying is that I believe many people who attend church are not true children of God. God is not telling us to keep meeting with them. He is telling us to keep meeting with those who want to "draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith ... hold unswervingly to the hope they profess" (Hebrews 10:22-25) In that sense I haven't stopped going to church at all. I'm just no longer part of that wordly organisation that calls themselves church. I now meet with a small group of like-minded Christians. And like Lavoietheway and Morningstar, I feel I have learnt and grown so much more away from 'church'. For one thing, I'm no longer coming away from Sunday services angry and hurt. And that has to be a good thing!! Now I have so much more energy to devote to God Himself, instead of trying to struggle to sort the spiritual anger from the emotion. I'm no longer worrying about what the people at 'church' think, I'm 'worrying' about what God thinks. And I don't have to worry about what the people I'm now meeting with think, because like me, they just want to worship God, learn from His word, and be faithful until Christ returns.
Wow, I guess I needed to vent! I'm so grateful there are like-minded people I can vent to.
Let's keep worshipping and praising God with other true children of God, keep our eyes fixed on Christ, and our hearts longing for our Heavenly Home.

Very good thoughts here, and HillStGirl that's ok to vent and express our thoughts because they all differ in one way or another, and it helps to get the views of others and maybe shed some light in our perspective of things. And by the way I would like to welcome you to this forum and look forward to your posts in the future. God Bless

FiveDoves?
I'd avoid that place like the plague. It's full of "letters from God" written by people who believe they're receiving direct and specific revelation from God regarding the End Times.
...the people there are also wrong more often than right... and yet the same false doctrine that is so abundant there leaks through into RITAN on a daily basis... and remains latched onto regardless of failure.

If they were right, Jesus would be coming on Christmas, but also on the 5th, 6th or 7th day of the Month, before thanksgiving, but only when the leaves are falling, but also during the snow. There would be missiles falling, ISON careening into the earth, the moon out of its orbit, all amidst three days of darkness.

Think I'm kidding? ...I'm not. Not even a little bit.
Every single one of those things has been accepted by that community as faultless "Words from the Lord", with multiple "confirmations". I kid you not.

No.  Not at all, Brother John.  I wouldn't have even known if a sister in Christ hadn't emailed me and told me about it.  They also removed a comment I made a little further down in the thread. 
What I do NOT understand is that I could name 3 people in specific that were allowed to post their blog and websites there.  I have tried to introduce people to that site.  Well seaoned Christians who are filled with  the Holy Spirit, discernment and that I greatly respect. Some have been Spirit filled Christians for years and know the Word by heart.  Most of the responses I got back were comments like, "Is that a New Age site?"(that was the most common one and they warned me to be careful)  "Why are people into what seems to border on astrology?", "There seems to be a lot of date-setting and very little discernment"...etc.  They all politely declined after lurking for awhile.  It never used to be that way but I guess it depends on who you are in regards to what you can and cannot post.

I know..lol..that made me laugh too.  One time, one of the mods emailed me and asked me why I thought people were leaving.  I was truthful and told them it's because so many people on there become easily offended, have to walk on eggshells, there is favoritism in regard to who can post what..but if another member were to post the exact same thing, they would be reprimanded or their post would be deleted.  The other thing is, none of these rules seem to apply to the mods.  I see very little discernment in that regard a far as that goes.  A long as you don't disagree, voice your views and just make everyone "happy"...."go with the flow" type of thing, it's all good.  I have had members tell me that's why they left.  Don't misunderstand me.  I'm not talking about people who are purposely trying to cause dissension among members or trying to stir up trouble within the body.  They simply just disagree.  I find myself reading fewer and fewer threads because too many are way off base.  I get tired of all the dreams/visions/ISON (which some cling to) and planetary alignmets, "high watch dates",  along with "Revelation 12 signs are in the sky now."  I would think that the Lord would make it obvious to His whole bride.  I noticed this morning that someone was offended by a member who needed to apologise for a joke about something someone had stated on a thread about a donkey.  It wasn't offensive at all.  I couldn't understand why the other person was offended.   I think there are many who are just paranoid and offended easily by a simple joke.  I get it.  Others get the joke too.  We are having  to trip all over ourselves when it comes to apologizing for something that is funny and has no intent at all to offend.  If I get too much of that, it's time for me to just leave and no longer post.  I do not have experience in the field of psychiatry.  Too stressful and it no longer remains a place to fellowship.

Benjamin, that is too funny!!!

BrotherJohn, I see what your saying, but I don't think Shiloh is discouraged because of the favoritism shown, it's just the fact in what direction the site is headed more than anything. It is a sad thing to witness especially in these days, and sorry to say in my view the mods are really not doing a very good job in separating the fanciful from the truth, but that is just in my humble opinion. I do agree with you on the increase in conflicts arising for I've noticed that also, so now we are seeing some spiritual warfare going on there and it's very noticeable I just hope people will open up their eyes to the damage being done in the Christian community. Voices like yours, Ben's and Shiloh are needed to keep a sort of balance.
God Bless you all.