Sunday Morning Alone

[Bootstrap]

Reading temp's posts, I think a lot about people without churches, trying to make do on Sunday morning.

I was sick this weekend, too sick to go to church, to sick to even follow it on Zoom. I really missed the fellowship. For me, it's not primarily about the sermon, though our sermons are good, it's about the relationships. I have known these people for decades, they care about what happens in my life, I care about what happens in theirs, and they were praying for me.

Temp has a thread named "It's Sunday morning, what did you listen to?". The title assumes that people are at home watching something on the Internet instead of going to church, which is odd for a Mennonite forum. When I am out of town, I often go to other church services, especially if I know someone who goes to a particular church. But if I don't know anyone at a church, attending it takes a lot of social energy sometimes.

I'm wondering how others approach Sunday mornings when they are not able to go to their own churches. What do you do? How do you use the time well in a way that honors God?

I am also wondering if people have tips to share for trying out churches if you don't know anyone, finding churches that are worth visiting, and dealing with that whole vulnerable time where you don't really know them, they don't know you, you wish you had more of a relationship than you do yet, and you are trying to figure out if this is the right church for you.

[temporal1]

i wrote:
Are you willing to share, whether you attended in person or listened IRT or later?

This is a good topic, to clarify, i didn’t intend for the other topic to be exlusively or mostly about remote sermons/homilies - or other content. Yesterday i was listening - IRL church.

you wrote:
What do you do? How do you use the time well in a way that honors God?

This is basically what i hoped for, esp believing most on forum regularly attend IRL.

When i was young, the day of Sunday was quite observed in the world, believers or not, most services+shops closed, etc.
i still feel odd when i realize many many people do not observe Sunday in any way at all, wrt honoring God.

[Valerie]

My brother is a pastor in a small farming community in NE Washington. He was really sick the past few days and before that his wife had a heart issue & in hospital couple days. He said he had more than enough help from his Church. I said “That IS CHURCH “ (being the hands & feet of Jesus.
We haven’t had “close” community in Church like that for years and I miss it.

I really feel for people who substitute watching church on tv or don’t even do that- really missing out on community. Our family is out west but our “Church” family IS family.

[JohnH]

My brother is a pastor in a small farming community in NE Washington. He was really sick the past few days and before that his wife had a heart issue & in hospital couple days. He said he had more than enough help from his Church. I said “That IS CHURCH “ (being the hands & feet of Jesus.
We haven’t had “close” community in Church like that for years and I miss it.

I really feel for people who substitute watching church on tv or don’t even do that- really missing out on community. Our family is out west but our “Church” family IS family.

Do you go to a small group etc from your church? That's often where good community is found in the "bigger" churches.

[barnhart]

My brother is a pastor in a small farming community in NE Washington. He was really sick the past few days and before that his wife had a heart issue & in hospital couple days. He said he had more than enough help from his Church. I said “That IS CHURCH “ (being the hands & feet of Jesus.
We haven’t had “close” community in Church like that for years and I miss it.

I really feel for people who substitute watching church on tv or don’t even do that- really missing out on community. Our family is out west but our “Church” family IS family.

Well said. I agree entirely.

[Bootstrap]

This is a good topic, to clarify, i didn’t intend for the other topic to be exlusively or mostly about remote sermons/homilies - or other content. Yesterday i was listening - IRL church.

Thanks, Temp - I'm not always sure about acronyms, are you saying you were physically in church this Sunday? If so, what was that like for you?

I think there is some content in your other thread, but the title makes it hard for me to participate, because the title implies that watching things or listening to things on Sunday mornings instead of going to church is what is normal. For some people, that may be the best they can do.

When i was young, the day of Sunday was quite observed in the world, believers or not, most services+shops closed, etc.
i still feel odd when i realize many many people do not observe Sunday in any way at all, wrt honoring God.

When I'm not in church on Sunday, I"m not always sure how to use that time well. Is a hike in the woods a good way to use a Sunday morning if I'm not able to attend church? Extra time in prayer or Bible study? Attending someone else's church?

Taking Sunday off is one thing. Knowing what to do with it is another for me.

[temporal1]

boot:
Thanks, Temp - I'm not always sure about acronyms,

IRL = in real life

i’m surprised the word, “listen” seems to convey to you, not in real life. i didn’t think of it that way.
when i attend church, i’m there to listen.

you’ve written about enjoyment of speaking or preaching in church. i don’t even consider doing either. on any day.

on Sundays, i think of listening and worshipping, hopefully of inspired words.
worship and listening can be done at any time, in any place.

i was just wondering about different practices. several members shared.

[ohio jones]

i’m surprised the word, “listen” seems to convey to you, not in real life. i didn’t think of it that way.
when i attend church, i’m there to listen.

I listen, too, to the parts that are meant to be listened to. But I also participate verbally. Singing is a big part of the service. We always recite something together, either a scripture passage or the Apostles' Creed. And prayer requests are shared. So church IRL is not *just* listening.

[Bootstrap]

boot:
Thanks, Temp - I'm not always sure about acronyms,

IRL = in real life

i’m surprised the word, “listen” seems to convey to you, not in real life. i didn’t think of it that way.
when i attend church, i’m there to listen.

Me too, mostly. Sometimes in prayer and worship. Sometimes to the sermon. For me, this is a lot easier to do when I am physically present. Thanks for sharing about attending in real life.

you’ve written about enjoyment of speaking or preaching in church. i don’t even consider doing either. on any day.

I preach once a month, I lead music once a month. I enjoy services led by others just as much. Sometimes more - I'm less distracted when I am not leading anything.

on Sundays, i think of listening and worshipping, hopefully of inspired words.
worship and listening can be done at any time, in any place.

i was just wondering about different practices. several members shared.

Yes, I am also interested in what others are sharing or are going to share.

[temporal1]

i’m surprised the word, “listen” seems to convey to you, not in real life. i didn’t think of it that way.
when i attend church, i’m there to listen.

I listen, too, to the parts that are meant to be listened to. But I also participate verbally. Singing is a big part of the service. We always recite something together, either a scripture passage or the Apostles' Creed. And prayer requests are shared. So church IRL is not *just* listening.

Correct. i think correct for all Christians, as scriptures describe.
i didn’t intend to mean “just” listenng, but, true, in the other topic, i was most interested in sermons/homilies.
in an informal discussion way.

Recitations and hymns have been frequently discussed elsewhere. They are welcome in the other Sunday topic.
The other topic wasn’t meant to be exclusive, it was about what members listen to on Sundays. Full stop.