Change of Scenery
Posted on April 5th, 2006Recently, I decided that I would stop going to Elevation. This is not the first time that I have considered this move; the last time was around a year and a half ago.
My decision does not reflect what I think about Elevation or the people that attend; it is a wonderful place with a great community. I am not dissatisfied with it, and I would gladly point my friends in that direction.
I guess the thing is that I find it too much like Monday Nights. It’s somewhat hard to avoid since it’s essentially the same people behind it. While the demographics are different, it has a feel that I find on Monday Nights as well. And I think that once a week is enough.
Maybe I’m burning out a little bit, too. Granted, the past many months have not been nearly as stressful as those during the ESA fiasco or the website redesign phase, but I’ve been plugging away with these guys for a while without much of a break.
So, for two of the last three Sundays, I have made my way to Community Fellowship. I had been there a couple of times before and I didn’t see any reason to not go again. A bonus is that I can usually get a ride there, too!
I remember when I first went (a couple of years ago), I didn’t know anyone except the people with whom I went. I recall a complaint that I had: “There’s no community at Community!” Now, I recognize a good bunch of people there and that really makes it easier to go back.
I’m not sure how permanent this move is going to be; when I relocate to Weber and Bridgeport, I’m going to be a lot further away and I doubt that I’ll have a ride. At the same time, I’m going to be a lot closer to WMB, about which I have heard lots of good things. So maybe I’ll go there. Or maybe I’ll go back to Elevation. Who knows.
In a way, this is a good exercise for me; I don’t want to get stuck into a habit and lose meaning when I attend a Sunday morning service. This reminds me that I should be able to worship God wherever I am, and it encourages me to focus more on what’s being said and done.
Yep, I’m happy with my decision.
April 6th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
“I guess the thing is that I find it too much like Monday Nights. It’s somewhat hard to avoid since it’s essentially the same people behind it. While the demographics are different, it has a feel that I find on Monday Nights as well. And I think that once a week is enough.”
what do you see as the purpose of attending church?
kat
April 6th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
Well, I wrote later on that I go to church to worship God. I can do that at Elevation, at Community Fellowship, at WMB, at St. Jerome’s, at Knox Presbyterian, and at so many other places.
Yes, I realize that by saying that Elevation is a lot like Monday nights, I factor in some of my personal preferences into the equation. But when don’t we do that? I could just as easily point out similar ‘faults’ in decisions that you and most other people have made.
I find that I have become motivated by habit; I went to Elevation because that’s where I’ve gone every Sunday for pretty much every weekend for a couple of years. I don’t always go because I want to worship and glorify God. It doesn’t help that the same sorta deal happens twice a week, either.
So I have lost some meaning in going to church. Some may argue that I should continue to do this in hopes of regaining that meaning (as a recent Forum discussed), but I don’t think that I am in that camp. My heart should be in it. So the switch is done more in hopes of finding that meaning again than suiting my personal tastes.