In general his answer was that he believed that there was a divine host that wanted a relationship with him but he did not believe in attending church. We talked for a little while why he didn't like church and I have to admit there was a lot of merit in his reasons. He says that he always got the impression that there was a sense of fakeness and judgment that comes with church. In a lot of ways I agreed with him. I have worked at a Bible camp for the last four years now and I would have to say that they were some of the best times of my life. I have made a lot of good friends at camp. However, some of the people at camp that I spent many intimate hours worshipping with in the Chapel, I do not completely trust. Since coming to college I have made my fair share of mistakes, I am human, but I don't feel that all the people from camp are available for support because I feel like I would be judged by them, and that is not Love, that does not represent the God I believe in. So that is where I can relate to what he said.
In a lot of ways I really agreed with him, and I neither negated fellowship, or pushed its merits on him. What I did do, however, was thought of it constantly for days following that conversation. I came to a conclusion as God gave me a vivid image of what fellowship really means, and I wish I had written it down immediately so it was as clear to you as it was to me, but I'll do my best now to recreate that image for you.
When I am at church I have choices. I can come in, and sit down, or I can stand in the back. I don't have to talk to people, but I can also find friendly conversation wherever I turned if I wanted to. During worship I can sing for all I am worth, or mumble the words. During the service I can get as much or as little as I want out of the sermon. It does not matter to anyone but myself and God why I am there, it simply matters that I am. There is no room for error when a person is in church (things change when leadership roles are considered but that is entirely for a different blog) as long as a person is in church there is chances of God working something in them.
Everybody has different reasons for being in church. Some are there to worship God and be fed with the full intention of going back into the world and serving God for the week, church is their weekly progress meeting. Some people attend church because they are lonely and simply need human contact. Some people attend church, and these are the people that run the danger of taking on leadership with the wrong motivations, because what other people think matters to them and they have the need to be seen in a good light.
There is fakeness in the church, but it is not my place to point fingers, or place blame, conviction is not mine. That is judgment, and judgment is not mine to place on anyone. That judging attitude is not Love. God says that it is nobody's place to judge another man's servant. Everyone at church is a servant of God, whether they realize it or not, so I have been told to not place judgment on them, and they have been told to not place it on me. In the same token, I am not to worry about their judgment, I must look to God for everything. To God must I turn for judgment, conviction, validation, correction and forgiveness. Because he is my master, and no other besides him. Worrying about the judgment of others is giving them power over me, I am making their opinions my master. That is sin, that is adultery. GOD is my Master.
"Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."
~ Romans 14:4
