Yet more on being a lousy church guy . . .

You know, really, it doesn't bother me. I just hope it doesn't bother others.

I used to go to a church where the sermons where quite literally equated with the Word. To walk out on a sermon was tantamount to spitting in the face of God.

I don't think that way.

In fact, I hate to say it (no I don't), but most sermons are nothing more than earnest moralizing with a salting of Scripture for flavor-enhancement. I've had plenty to say about "legalism with a smiling face" in other posts, and will not belabor the subject again. Read about it here if you like.

I'm right there with what Nate said in his comment to the last post:

If it makes you feel any better, I go to a church where people routinely leave in the middle of sermons, come back in, leave again. I've even seen people leave fuming in anger.

I remember once hearing a sermon in a church where the pastor opened with "Now, this is not the time to tune out and stop paying attention..." And I couldn't help the thought: "It sure is if you don't say anything of real substance, bub."

Yup. I'm with you there, big time.

Actually, part of the feeling behind the choice of the name for this blog, In the Clearing, had to do with the fact that God holds us to no obligation now that we are in Christ. We're "in the clear."

If it is not so, then Christ it seems did not fulfill the law, and his cross-work was not sufficient to win for me what I could never gain on my own. This is Paul's meaning when he says, "If Christ sets you free, you are free indeed."

No obligations toward God. No obligations to love every sermon at your church. No obligation to be happy-happy about everything that goes on there.

Then there's Lois' comment yesterday.

I've learned not to expect too much from church.

I get that. I'm there. If I had one simple piece of advice for preachers, it would be this: it's a lot less important than you think it is to urge behavioral standards on your listeners (i.e., be more loving, be more generous, get into fellowship more, be more compassionate, affectionate, confidant, etc.). You could probably lay off all that and do not one whit of harm to anyone. Instead, think about finding out what the gospel has to do with our life in Christ, and preach that.

Epaphras preached the gospel to the Colossians, and as a result they were a people known for their faith and love. What did Paul call the kind of work that Epaphras did among them? He called Epaphras "a faithful minister of Christ." Epaphras ministered Christ to the Colossians by preaching the gospel among them, and it bore fruit!

Moral of the story: quit urging fruitfulness on people, and instead preach like Epaphras, ministering the grace of God in Christ. Read all about it in Colossians 1:3-8.

Oh, and one more thing: lay off the movie clips.

More on being a lousy church-guy

Yeah, so anyway, like I was saying, I'm a lousy church-member.

Last Sunday I did something I've never done before. The associate pastor was preaching (he's a young earnest guy), and he was running a scene from a movie to illustrate a point in his sermon.

Now, I hate that. Sorry. I just do.

And I wasn't too enthused by the sermon up to that point anyway . . . and I was sitting near the door . . . and . . . well . . . I left.

I just left.

It was a great relief.

The sermon was about fellowship, and how we should, umm, not shrink back from fellowship and all that.

I went out to the church bookstore and waited. I could hear the sermon a little, as it is shown on screens in the lobby and toddler rooms. I could hear not so much the words as the impassioned tone of urgent urging.

The movie clip was from Bella.

I missed it.