Mythbusters: Church is About Me

Welcome back for some more thoughts on Christian myths! You can read the first 2 posts in this mini series here and here.

Today I’m writing about our misguided expectations of church. To be honest, this myth is something I have certainly struggled with and an area I am still growing in. I have at times been very critical of church services and sermons. 

Which leads me here: 

Myth #3) Church is about what I get out of it. Church is about me. 

It’s pretty common to hear people complain that “they didn’t get anything out of the sermon.” Or maybe “why did they choose that song? They sang it last week.”   

While reading Craig Groeschel’s book The Christian Atheist, I came across a section of a chapter that really challenged my view of church.  I had to go back and read it again! It was talking about the purpose of church, and of course, I thought I knew what the purpose of church was – to fellowship with other believers, to learn about Christianity, to come together to serve others, to fill myself up. Right?

WRONG. Church is NOT about me. It is not about whether I like the music or if I could relate to the sermon. It is not about whether or not there are other people there my age or a ministry that is convenient for my schedule. 

Truth #1) Church is about what you give, not get.  

The truth is, YOUR not supposed to get anything out of church. Church is supposed to be about what you put in, what you give.  It is about what I can bring to Christ. It is about WORSHIP. It is about SERVING GOD. I had never thought about church in terms of what I can put in, but I have certainly thought about church in terms of what I can get out. I am more than guilty of feeling dissatisfied with my Sunday morning experience for a many number of reasons. But perhaps my attitude, my mindset, was the real problem, not a singer who forgot the words to a song. 

Truth #2) Church is about worship--of God. 

Coming to church with the expectation that the focus should be on what I can get out of the service is selfish.  The focus is no longer on Christ, but turning Christ into my servant. He is there simply to meet my needs. 

But my purpose at church is to worship God, not me. It is something we do, not have done to us. It is a verb, an action, and it is a choice you have to make. No one can decide to worship for you, that is your choice alone. It is our gift to God and when you allow yourself to be in the presence of God, it is a natural response. And what better place to find God’s presence then gathered with other believers at church?