Featured Unacceptable behavior in church.

Well I was raised in a very small family church and the only time that I can recall that someone was late for church or early... Was daylight saving time... I remember getting to church early and wondering where everybody was... Then again getting there late and apologizing to our pastor... He would look at me and say... Forgot to set your clock, didn't you?... I would smile embarrassed and sit down. There were not that many problems as far as other things were concerned... We were a church family and looked over the faults of others... We even had some come from work and show up in their work clothes... I heard tell among our people way back when that some would come from the fields in their overalls, attend service and then go back to work... How times have changed... Just honor the privilege you can go to church, in some countries they can't.. Bathroom?... When you gotta go, you gotta go... Brother Glen

 

Interesting you bring that up... You know I heard a minister at a big annual meeting address a situation of a baby crying in church... Now to me that would be very disturbing as those who were trying to listen... Instead of bringing dishonor to the Mother, he said: Praise the Lord to have the little ones in church... She soon after took the crying child outside but he didn't draw attention to the crying but to the fact that one of God's little ones were in church... Think of scripture when Jesus own disciples stood in the way of children coming to him... To me we are to picky, picky, picky in church and I agree there should be some etiquette... But don't let their un etiquette and your etiquette deprive you of a member that only wanted to serve the Lord... Brother Glen

 

We used to serve coffee and snacks in the back corner of the meeting room so food in the service isn't a problem.
And it's true, about a third of the congregation comes in late, same ones every Sunday.

But as long as we're griping...

Why does someone sitting in the front row always have to get up and go to the bathroom during the service?
​

Rob

 

My thoughts exactly Rob... I remember being song leader. We had a brother in church and every time a certain song was selected by this old brother, which was his favorite, he sang a certain part off key... You could hear his voice off key among the rest of us... And everyone in the congregation knew it was coming... That was over 50 years ago and that brother has long ago gone to be with the Lord... Every time I hear this song I think of that old brother that sang off key and smile that I knew him... I guess this is nothing new as the children of Israel were always complaining... Some more than others... Brother Glen

 

Our church used to have notices up saying "No beverages allowed in the sanctuary," and I think it was just presumed that food was not allowed. But recently I have seen people with cups of coffee, maybe other drinks, and I don't see those notices any more. So apparently that is now allowed, though I was never given the 'official' word. This aspect of the problems herein mentioned, as well as the others, seems to come down to the question of how much catering to the persons should a church do just to keep them there.It's perhaps comparable to how much grandparents will let the grandkids get away with that they never did allow their children, the kids' parents.

Anyway, I still do not drink coffee in the church service, though I've always been a noted consumer thereof n Bible classes-- Life Groups, they are now called. We did have a change in how the coffee is distributed some months ago. It used to be that those who prepared the coffee poured it into 'coffee butlers' that anyone could come and take to the different classrooms. That was convenient, but it was announced that we are wasting __ gallons (not sure they gave a number) every week, so now we have big coffeemakers set in various places in which those who want a cup have to come and get it. I'm sure we are wasting less that way, but for those of us who have trouble getting around, it can be a lot to go through to get that one cup. I have to change buildings and cross a parking area and then walk 40 yards.And I probably would not consider this much except that it may be another example of how we're led to expect the church to be convenient for us, and to note I'm also affected.

I'm sure few would argue that a church service today is much less of a 'dignified' procedure than it was decades ago. Nobody ever clapped in church when I was a kid, for example. And if a few kids sitting together were whispering or passing things to each other, one or more nearby adults would move to sit between or among them. For that matter, other ceremonies, like graduations or music recitals, had an accepted line of dignity, and persons involved did not have their own "cheering sections" to yell for them when their name was announced or they performed. "Give an inch and they'll take a mile" might have been the thought about compromising solemnity and affirming the individual rather than the purpose of the gathering.

 

I don't like disrespect either. I would be sure of their reasons before I judged them. I had to take diuretics for a while. I was that person peering and drinking during service.

 

I definitely see where you are coming from. I can not stand people being late. Never dealt with a burger in church. I am sure it would annoy me. People going and coming don't bother me.

 

There is very little in scripture about behavior/courtesy in church. The most significant passages are found in I Corinthians, in there with tongues, prophets, and head coverings. But it is found to let speakers speak and not interrupt. In James, of course, there is the warning about not showing favoritism to the rich, but that's hardly the point of the items here, unless there is a rich man/woman/couple who habitually come late and take 'breaks,' and nothing is said about it, but other people are cracked over it.

A relation can be made with excellent sermon I remember, "God is Serious About His Church." This was based on the Ananias and Sapphira incident, in which they falsely claimed the land they sold was for a lower price and held back some of the proceeds.I've always thought the point of why they both suddenly fell dead when confronted with the truth was because the church was in infancy, and an infection is deadly to an infant and must be eradicated. So God does not always end peoples' lives for treating the church casually, or with 'just a little' incongruity, but don't discount the seriousness of the offense, which you may still be called on to the carpet for.

 

Some people do my need to be put in their place. Sometimes they need a little drill Sgt. to come out on them.

 

Well Reynolds do you think if you appeared to them in this uniform they would change their ways?... Brother Glen

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

 

I know it's absolutely aggravating when people just can't seem to get to church on time or do other goofy things. I sing in our choir so I'm up front for the first 15 minutes or so of service. I mean, I'm at church all morning from about 9am until about 12:45pm (Sing first service, slide out for Sunday school, come back in to sing second service and stay for that service).

However...focusing on others' behavior during church isn't really what the Lord expects. I can tell you who wants that kind of behavior and getting your blood pressure up though...(hint, It isn't Jesus). You're letting something that really isn't your issue to deal with steal your focus from the Lord and the teaching of His word. Even if folks come in late, give glory to God that at least they came. So what if they get up to get a drink of water, at least they came. So what if the guy burps, he came to church. So what if they're whispering back and forth, they came! What they do in church is between them and the Lord. Focusing on what others are doing or not doing is not helping YOU at all. Focus on YOU. Focus on quieting your heart and your mind to listen to what the Lord is trying to teach you through your pastor's sermon. Follow along in your bible, take notes. Keep your focus on two people...the Lord and you. Honestly, although I sing in our church choir, I couldn't tell you what most folks are doing during the time we're up singing. My focus is on our choir director, listening to the music and those singing around me, and most of all the Lord. When I slip out for Sunday School, I slip out quietly and don't make a production of it. When I come down off the choir platform and stay for the service, once again, I can't tell you what's going on around me. I'm listening, reading, taking notes. I don't have the time to watch others if I'm going to watch me.