Ready for some truth served up hot? Buckle up and dive in!
- Realize you aren’t there to be a consumer. The world thinks of us as merely consumers of products. A local church is not a product. Work hard to get out of the consumer mindset. The church isn’t a vending machine dispensing goodies to entertain us. It’s an organism we are supposed to be a part of.
- Actually join the church. Don’t stay disobedient to Scripture by refusing to join a local congregation. Not only is it the right thing to do, but when you belong to something instead of just attending or observing, it changes your mindset. Get on the team, don’t stay disconnected, watching from the bleachers.
- Be easily blessed. Not every pastor can compete with edited internet celebrity preachers, some of whom hire others to do all their research[i] and even write their sermons for them.[ii] Rejoice in the fact that your pastor is real and standing right in front of you, human frailties and all. Refuse to harbor a critical spirit. Study the Word like the Bereans (of course), but out of a spirit of collaboration and learning, not superiority.
- Work on the beam in your own eye. Before you start making it everyone else’s fault for not being interesting or entertaining enough, ask yourself if there might be something wrong in your own heart. Could it be that there’s a sin blockage in your soul? Are you saved? Are you sanctified? (That’s different than justified. Don’t know the difference? Ask your pastor!)
- Find something to do. The Cambridge online dictionary defines boredom as: “feeling unhappy because something is not interesting or because you have nothing to do.” Maybe you aren’t doing anything in your church. Change that! Volunteer somewhere. Sing in the choir. Clean the bathrooms. Help people park in the parking lot. Vacuum the sanctuary after services. Sign up for security detail in the parking lot. Cook some meals for potluck. Straighten books. Take it upon yourself to take notes on every sermon. Work on memorizing a new hymn or Bible passage each month with others. Try to encourage one other person each Sunday. Even take a big risk and say an “Amen” occasionally.
- BONUS: Realize you may not have this opportunity much longer. If things keep going the way they are going in our country, your church may find itself being banned from meeting in the relatively near future. Culture is growing increasingly hostile to God’s truth. Don’t doubt they will be seeking to cancel your church if your church bucks the will of society. Maybe instead of checking your watch because the game is on soon, appreciate what you have before you lose it!
Hopefully these short and straightforward challenges will help you if you find yourself wrestling with boredom in the house of the Lord.
[i] https://www.docentgroup.com/ Please note that I didn’t say it was wrong to have help doing research, but I’m pointing out that it isn’t a fair comparison to compare a pastor who is doing all his own work with one who has a whole crew doing it.
[ii] https://www.upwork.com/hire/sermon-writers/