Freedom

For the first time in 12 years I don't have to go to church every week.  It is a new kind of freedom that I haven't had since those two years I was away at college and chose not to go to church.  At that point and this point there were similarities.  Both times this freedom came after being involved with church on a deep, deep level. 

The first time I took a church break it was after some intense years a church elder, volunteer, committee member, worship team member, etc.  I was 22.  I was tired.  I took a break from church (NOT GOD) and enjoyed every minute of it.  When it was time to get back into regular church life, about two years later, I knew it.

This time has been different but no less freeing.  It took about two weeks before I decided to go to church again.  Another few weeks went by before going again.  Last week I didn't go to church and then this week I started noticing something.  I started noticing an antsy feeling, like something was missing.  Ah, yes.  Church!  Worship!  I missed it!  So today we went.

Worship was good, the sermon was good, the people delightful, warm and personable.  I came away refreshed.  I also came away appreciative of the freedom I have to go to church when I want but also be able to stay home from church at times too.  I appreciate the freedom.

Which got me to thinking.  I am a Church Chick.  I dig church.  I loved working for the church.  Not every second but in general I loved it.  As time went on, though, I began to resent having to get up on Sunday morning earlier than I got up the rest of the week, to go to church.  I wanted to be able to stay home every so often, not just while I went on vacation.  I wanted to be able to go to church someplace else occasionally and not be responsible for so many aspects of the worship service, just purely worship!  There were definitely mornings when worship would have been much better if I had just stayed home...hmmm...there's a thought. 

What would happen to our churches if every 7 weeks or so (random number just go with me) told the Pastor, the Worship Leaders, the musicians, the Children's Director, the Youth Director, etc., to NOT come to church?  Not expect them to take vacation time or a personal day, just wrote it into their contracts that one Sunday every 7 weeks they were to not come to their church of employment.  They could stay home, they could go to church someplace else, go away for the weekend, but one Sunday every so often they would be given the freedom to worship how they needed to worship.

Maybe some churches do this already.  Maybe that's why many churches have Sr. Pastors and Associate Pastors.  I don't know.  It just struck me at how amazingly empowering and freeing that would have been to be given one Sunday away from the church of my employment.  Maybe the bottom line is that it would have been pretty powerful for my church to say "Your relationship with Christ, your spiritual, emotional and mental health, is more important than leading in worship here every Sunday.  Take a week on us.".  I don't know for sure.  I'm just chatting.