That's actually kinda scary to me, is this a usual occurence? I think I might run out if anyone even slightly acted up in church.
:eek:

Good points. I feel that "come as you are" is internal and external. I feel that people in general put too much emphasis on clothing.Really, what does it say to be dressed like Sheneneh's sister at the club on Saturday, but Sunday you have on a skirt down to your ankles?That's why I say it shouldn't matter what you have on as long as you are moderately dressed.JMO again :)

I love the debate! It's great!!

Thanks :)

I'm also trying to get used to women wearing pants at church especially since they didn't start until a couple of years ago. When I was growing up--if you were a woman and wore pants it was because it was the winter time and you were going from your car to the building. I still believe in the skirts and suits.

Songs that go on for 10-15 minutes.

During the invitation to membership--Ministers that identify the side of the church, the row and sometimes the seat that the potential new member is located. I went to one church where that happened.

Church Pet Peeves
 

One of my biggest pet peeves aside from those listed here are people who act like they don't see the offering tray coming. I am an usher at my church at home. Not only is it listed in the bulletin but the minister "announces" that it is offering time. The person is sitting on the tenth row which means they watched us go through nine other rows to collect offering then when we get to their row, they are just now fumbling through their purse. Hello??? Did you not see us coming. Holding up the entire process.

Secondly those who fall asleep in church. Come on now, are are an adult if u feel yourself fading go put some water on your face I dont want to hear you snoring.

Also when we have visitors at our church and I hear someone say "So and So is in my seat." First of all you dont own any of the seats, second they are visiting you're supposed to make them feel welcome

Re: Church Pet Peeves
 

This one really hit home for me. I'm planning to relocate to VA in the next few months and I am so sure that I'm gonna end up in someone's seat. I know where I like to sit at my own church and it is certainly hard to break a habit. With my luck I'll probably sit in a seat meant for one of the "Church-Hat" ladies, so I am sure to be utterly embarassed. :(

Seats??? Surely you jest.


And this is one of the many reasons why people don't like to go to church.Because of the people there.......(shaking head)

OPINION TIME:

GOD GIVES US TIME TO DO WHATEVER ELSE WE WANT TO DO DURING THE WEEK. WE SHOP, TALK, PARTY, GO TO WORK/SCHOOL, BREATHE, ETC. GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THESE BLESSINGS, WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH GIVING HIM A COUPLE HOURS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP ON ONE DAY OUT OF THE WEEK. ARE WE REALLY THAT SELFISH? WE REALLY SHOULD BE PRAISING HIM 24/7, AND PRAY WITHOUT CEASING BUT HE IS A FORGIVING AND UNDERSTANDING GOD. A COUPLE OF HOURS AT A PARTY CAN MAKE US FEEL SO GOOD, IF A COUPLE HOURS AT CHURCH CAN'T DO THE SAME FOR YOUR SPIRIT................

LET'S JUST BE GLAD GOD DOESN'T TAKE BACK THE TIME WE SHOULD USE TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE HIM

JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.;)

curious...
 

I've been biting my tongue for a while with what I'm going to come out with. I've noticed that a lot of people have problems being in church for long periods of time. The church that I attend starts at 11 AM and it ends between 1 and 1:30. I thoroughly enjoy church and would have a problem if it ended in one hour. As Christians, why do have an issue with the longevity of church? God grants us six days out of a week to do whatever we want to do, yet when it's time for church service, we put a time limit on it. If we broke down how much time we put into worldly things and compare it to how much time we put into the BREAD WINNER of our souls, there would be a huge gap. Most of us work forty hours a week, go the gym for about ten hours a week, do something socially for four hours a week (at a minimum), but church...ONE HOUR! However, we expect God to continue to bless us with the a good job, a healthy lifestyle, a family, etc. Additionally, we complain about going to Sunday School, Bible Class, revival, etc. Some of us even skip church all of the time because we're so tired and say to ourselves God knows my heart but when we're tired on Mon.-Fri., we don't call in everyday saying that! Why are we like that? We as Christians always put God second. Why do we do that?

Now I know that I am not where I should be as a Christian, but I am at the point where I know that I can't live without Him and I'm doing everything in my power to get right with God.

About these 2-4 hour services
 

I can't attend to ANYTHING more than an hour. Most of us can't. I have no problem dedicating more than an hour to church/God, but not at the same time. I'm both in a community group and in a college ministry at my current church. With that I spend the same amount of time (4 or more hours) as I did at my last church, it's just spread out.

I started going to my current church when I was almost 18 (3 years ago). I learned MUCH MUCH more in these last three years at this church, than I did in 17 years at my old one.

Also, just because the service is long it does not mean that you will always get more out of it. Both churches I attended did the same amount of things (i.e. songs, sermon), it's just that my old church fooled around a lot. For example, they took about a HOUR to make announcements, usually the same ones.

Re: About these 2-4 hour services
 

IMHO :)

I don't think that those of us who complain that church is too long because we want to short-change GOD. But if within a 2 1/2 hour service there is only a 30 minute sermon and 30 minutes of singing, guess what the other 1 1/2 hours are spent doing?
Things that could have put in the church bulletin for us to read instead of taking away from the amount of time that could be spent on the sermon. :o

This was how things were at my old church, so I found a new church home that wants me to be involved EVERYDAY, and not just on Sunday. I have learned so much more at my current church that attend now (hour service) than I did at my old church (3 hour). One thing that I believe that helped me is the fact the UMC involves your whole life with worship activites, not just a Sunday worship service. At my church we have so many different types of ministries to serve on, missionary tribes, bible study's, support groups, classes, etc. that it keeps you involved in GOD's word everyday of the week.

Re: Re: About these 2-4 hour services
 

EXACTLY to a T!

Honeykiss and Dionysus,

My argument doesn't apply to you all. From reading your responses, your church lasts for an hour, but you all are still being fed a phrophetic Word from God and you're active in the church.

My argument is to those who just wanna get out in an hour, aren't active in the church, and that don't attend the extra church activities. However, I appreciate your comments.:)

People faking the spirit.

How insulting is that? I went to church on Easter Sunday this year at a friend's church. One of the ladies in front of me caught the spirit and started dancing. I'm baptist so I don't have a problem in the world with that. But, when the lady on the other side of me said to her friend "Mary Alice is always trying to get pastor to notice her. She really thinks that man wants her when we all know that I'm going to be First Lady. Huh, watch this." This woman really got up and faked the spirit so that the pastor would notice her. She even went so far as to start running the church for this man's attention. He is a good looking man but this is too far.

I would be too scared to fake the spirit. I think that would be so disrespectful and blasphemous that the Lord would just strike me down where I stand.

:eek: :eek: :eek: naw padna. Actually I doubt I would ever want to marry a minister. I have a lot of growing to do spiritually and to be a minister's wife, WHOOO DADDY, can we just say that and my name are an oxymoron. To be First Lady might have my husband with a smaller congregation too. (just being honest). I am a nice person, really, but to deal with so many people on a spiritual level might be too much for me to handle.

I have more comments about dancing in the church but I am still getting settled.

Peeves
 

I have about a million of them (I've been to all types of churches so I have some from many denominations and religions)...

People who insist on sitting in from of me with big hats on.

People who come in late and sit on the front row.

People who have there cellphones ring in church, and then answer them.

People who shout until the music stops.

People who spend the entire time gossiping about other members.

Preachers that preach against something but gladly accept the money in there collection plates.

Preachers that push your head and try to make you fall when they pray for you.

People who come to church in something you could go to the beach, afterparty, or club in. (This is come as you are to the extreme)

People who complain about paying the 10%.

Ushers that hold the door and won't let you in the church.

Preachers that are more focused on the money than the church-goers.

Churchgoers who think they run the church.

***Anyone who doesnt respect that this is a place of worship and anything that interferes with it should be left outside.

My pet peeve is when pastor's use the pulpit to vent their angry at someone. Apparently the pastor at my home church (I'm away at school) got caught hugging either a man or a woman. This is not the first time. Well, he spent the Sunday morning sermon yelling that church folks are too nosy and should stop talking about people. Then said people are going to talk about him because he loves Jesus. No, people where talking about him because he's so freaky! It was so pitiful.:o

TTT

Re: About these 2-4 hour services
 

About two weeks ago I was invited to attend the Women's Day at the (Baptist) church where I spent my childhood. Since I was part of the procession, I got there at 10:15, and service started about 11:15. I expected service to last until 2:00-2:30. I didn't have a watch on. When I got to my car and started the ignition, the time on my radio said 3:48 p.m. 3:48!! No wonder people started leaving!

Also during this service, I was taken aback at the number of women who wore pantsuits and slacks, and the younger girls who had on what I call "hooker heels." (This church used to display a sign in the vestibule -- Ladies No Pants, so I never had an opportunity to buck the system.)

I'm late coming in on this thread but try this on for size:

CELL PHONES!!!!!

No matter how many times people are reminded to turn the blessed things off, they leave them on. And they ring in church.

Situation #1: in the middle of communion, a cell phone goes off. Does the guy w/ the phone turn it off? No. He answers it, hiking down the aisle, and conversing in a normal voice. "Oh, that's OK, I'm just in church." He's lucky the ushers didn't take him out.

Situation #2: at the very beginning, the priest takes his place at the end of the procession, he's about to open and....a cell phone rings. Absolutely fed up w/ the phones, he looks the person dead in the face and says, "Oh, maybe that's the Lord calling. Tell him to call back in an hour!" No other cell phones rang that day.........

There's others but that'll do for now.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)
:)

Situation #1: What's wrong with that fool? Doesn't he know that Communion is probably the most sacred part of church service?? He deserves a pimp slap for this one. :mad:

Situation #2: I must admit I probably would've had to hold my laugther on this one.

1.Did anybody say anything about SEASONAL members Easter, Mother's Day, etc.)?

2.When people join the church and never come back.

3. The same devotional songs EVERY Sunday

LOL...we call them CME's- Christmas, Mother's Day and Easter churchgoers! :D

1. I cannot stand it when illiterate children read the church announcements! Not small kids either. Seniors in High School. Folks just clap and the parents look proud.... :rolleyes:

2. I visited a church that made a young, unmarried woman apologize to the congregation for "getting myself in this situation"... WTF? :eek: What about the man who got her pregnant?

Probably some of the fresh deacons that have a weekness for looking at booties.....................:p :D

And the Easter Sunday members are sitting there in their Sunday best, just as clean as they wanna be...........UNTIL you ask them what did the pastor preach about???:eek:

OHHHH!! When the lady next to me sings louder then the choir is singing.

OHHHH!! When the lady with the biggest and broadest hat sits directly in the front of me.

OHHHH!! When the pastor doesn't have a point.

crimsontide - i totally feel you with the whole preacher's wife thing. no way i could do that. i'd have too many choice words for some of those fake mofo's.
okay, let me see if i can think of any that aren't on here already.
1. parents letting their kids (old and young) do whatever they want, disturbing everyone around them. or when the parents hit their kids in church. NO! uncalled for, take them outside and take care of it.
2. the money thing gets me. i can't even go into it either. when that kind of thing happens at a church, i refuse to attend ever again.
3. the whole length of service thing does get to me, but for the same reasons as what was already said. when it's long b/c of announcements and not real worship and teaching.


shelley j
sigma k

1. When a tall azz family sits in front of you. You move, then another tall azz family sits in front of you.

2. People smoking cigs on the parking lot.

3. People attending multi-racial churches, yet bigoted as hell.

4. Being required to shake hands with our neighbors after worship. There's too many things going around for that.

5. Taking things to far.
a. The audience being required to stand up whenever the pastor walks to the pulpit.
b. Being encouraged to purchase books of other religions at Borders so you can burn them up. :eek: (thankfully this wasn't suggested at MY church, but the person from my church who told that story didn't find anything wrong with it, neither anyone else listening to her story)

when our organist rocks out like he's The Phantom of the Opera or something. I appreciate your spirit dude but take it down a notch...it's early in the morning. :)

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
booyaka booyaka dey light come and me wanna go home???

Sounds like the church I just left....

This is so wrong on so many levels!!

I'm in a fairly unique position as to clothing. Before I joined my church, I met with the pastor, and as he teases now, "You were the first person who interviewed me!" I didn't want to be in a spiritually dead church, so I had a long list of questions!

My pastor has asked me to wear jeans to church, since there are families who can't afford to dress up. I'm okay with it, but there are times I just feel... funny. This church is right on the border between a well-off community and a not-so-well-off one, and it's growing by leaps and bounds (600 teenagers to Wednesday Night Live each week!!), so I understand the need. Maybe I need to get over my pride with this.

My pet peeve is with the second to the last church my mama attended: they always send the plate around twice (I have tithed since I was 21), but when they sent it around a third time, I was stunned! Worse, when my daddy died, she called the church, and two days later, one of the pastors called her to say that he had a meeting at 10:30, so if she could be at the funeral home at 10am, he'd talk to her - then didn't show up! No cards, no flowers, no pastor - nothing! Both my brother's church & my church represented well (two pastors from each), but my mama's heart was broken even worse by the abandonment she felt. Don't tell me that she slipped between the cracks - if your church is so large that you can't handle a death in the church family - split up the congregation!!

I know a lot of people who hate this idea, but I love love love churches who use name tags!! You get over 100 people per Sunday, you really do need them! The regulars will know each other, but the coming in off the street person will feel lost...

but this causes too much superficiaity in a place where were all supposed to equals under god, right? i mean, be preentable, dont come in something obviously inappropriate. the pants thing, IMO is not too bad. isnt the point is that eh person came, and for the same reason (hopefully) you did? would u rather have an inappropriately dresed attendee there for all the right reasons or a "propriately dressed" person sinning around town? your call.

and what about the folks that show up for the dinners? that killed me.

i remember when there would be dinners, and the older kids would use it as their excuse to get out of sermon to help out in the kitchen.

and how bout churches that have cake/candy sales? NOT feelin that. how u gon sell $1 MMs and say "its for the lawd"? gimme a break. and why was the pastor's wife of my (old) church selling her "handmake baskets"? glad she had a gift for craft, but keep that on the side, dont make it part of the announcements.

oh and remember when text mesage was big? all the kids were sending txt messages to each other during the sermon! i remember that. before txt message was the dear diary organizers that you could send messages through...

and the tithe box infuriates me!

Call me a Heathen....
 

1) Why must I turn to my neighbor?

2) Why do I have to repeat after you? It's your sermon.

3) Why did y'alls Deacons count the Love Offering and tell the church they could do better?

4) Why does your church have an ATM in the vestibule?

5) Why does the choir have new robes and the church's adopted family only got a turkey on Thanksgiving?

6) Why is the Usher grittin on me because I tried to open the door?

7) Why can't Sistuh Mabel get some new mints? The ones she got in her pocketbook been in there since the old building was turned into a daycare. Wrapper all stuck to the candy.

8) Why don't that little ole lady shout "hard" when she got a new hat and new clothes on?

9) Why that girl always acting shocked when they call her to do the song she always does?

10) Why do lil kids always wanna stretch out and put their feet on you?

11) Why does that one Deacon that always sweats hop around talkin bout, "YES SUH"

12) Why White Politicians only wanna visit during an election year and we always shout em out? Did he give a love offering? Cuz he gonna leave before benediction.

about coming as you are...
 

I know I'm not the only person who's done this.


Ever get ready for church when you were a kid, and came out wearing some straight garbage. When you momma/daddy called you out about it, you say with the straightest face ever, "But the bible said come as you are!"

then After I picked my face up off the ground.... :D

But it's interesting... I'm Catholic, and was raised Catholic. MY mom was raised baptist and converted to catholicism. So I definitely had influences of not wearing pants to church, although modern catholicism isnt really that strict on dress code...'come as you are'. I've only very recently (like 6 months ago) started wearing pants...and you know what? I still feel really funny about it. and the ONLY reason why I started wearing pants was that I was in a cast and a boot, and felt self-conscious. I'd rather wear a long skirt (or even knee length) than pants.

:sidebar:

is it just me? I love going to spirit filled churches! no matter if the service is 1/2 or two hours, the time just flies by. and it's like you're on cloud nine for the rest of the day.

Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, why is it that people only come to your church when there is food being served between services.:rolleyes:

Re: Call me a Heathen....
 

I hate that!! Call me a heathen too.

It is my pet peeve to the T when you market events to the young adults in the same manner in which you market to the youth and children. I AM NOT 16. You can't "trick" me into coming to a revival or some other event just b/c a go-go band is going to be there or just because you're handing out the little flyers like they do after the club. You know the glossy ones with a million graphics? :rolleyes: