What IS IT about Church that makes me feel like a sinner?

Question

Personally, I think the atmosphere practially begs you to feel bad about yourself. The hard wooden benches with no coushins. The long sermons that go over the same stuff you've heard countless times before. The awkward shaking of hands with people that are too friendly to be human. It's enough to drive a person insane.

Answer 1

I don't particularly care for the hand-shaking either. But there are times when I get lost in the prayers. I hope that the Holy Spirit guides you to see the true beauty within the Church. While I agree about feeling like a sinner, I modify that to mean for me a forgiven sinner. Well, except that one time, when I had first met my husband, and we had ...uh...well, too much information, eh?

Answer 2

Probably comes from being caught - and feeling caught. If you knew more people in your community, and were involved in your church - these strangers would become church friends, possibly real friends. (I mean you have 1 thing in common - your faith - probably more...)
Churches are for focusing on inner devils, and controlling them, as best one can. The stained glass windows of Saints, the CROSS above the tabernacle. GOD is there to help you though.
Boredom can be fought by focusing on talking to GOD about your week, and reviewing choices made or to be made.
There is no test that you paid attention to sermon. Some are boring some are not. Everyone knows this.
Do you ever talk to anyone after mass? Try if you don't. Try and meet 2 people every mass, and soon you may be surprised your church life has changed for the better.
I know you know this but:
Move around the church and sit where your happier. I sit with my parents and the Knights, but on my own I sit in the back where strangers sit and feel left out. When I talk to them it's a better mass for me. Oh, also there are different masses that bring a different age of mass goers. The singing masses are usually younger and lively. Saturday is statically shorter than Sundays.
About the seating, visit different churchs as none are build the same. Some pews may have cushions.
As I am 48 - I have hopefully 50+ years of listening to same readings and sermons each year, and that's something I am looking forward to.
I go for the people and donuts ...

Answer 3

Its exactly as you say. To term it more closely to scripture compare the parable Jesus told about a “rich man” who “feasted sumptuously every day” and a destitute beggar named Lazarus who was “desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.” Not only have many top church leaders maintained a life-style of opulence like the “rich man,” offering the poor only meager “crumbs,” like the pope’s ring, from their lavish “table”; but, more importantly, have they not done similarly in caring for the spiritual hunger of the people? Instead of solid Biblical “food,” often only “crumbs” of sanctimonious ritual and political pronouncements are offered.—Luke 16:19-22,
( from a spiritual standpoint you are the begger)

To learn something new and to gain understanding read Mathew 5:5, A simple statement. Why did Jesus make that statement? Because he knew what his father had promised at Psalms 37:9-11,29. This simple little thought is not proclaimed in any Church that I know of. As they pass the collection plate they like to say Jesus loves a cheerful giver.
They don't tell you if you want everlasting life you are the one that needs to study God's word and test your beliefs. Because if you did you would no longer be putting your earnings into their plate. They would rather feed you spiritual crumbs and tickle your ears, and load you down with things to do to help them entertain more people to make more collections. If you think I am being a little rough on them, then I ask you to think about whats at stake? To understand the bible and to know what your creator is asking of you is the greatest treasure you will ever have. He ask very little, try understanding John 17:3
One last thought They pray Mathew 6:10, so study the words and see if this next scripture is the answer? Daniel 2:44.
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Answer 4

i agree that church can make some feel uncomfortable. However, I believe that if you feel that the church is practically begging you to feel bad about yourself, either you are in the wrong church, OR maybe your conscience is at work. It is important to remember that when going to church you are supposed to be there to build your personal relationship ( not saying that going to church is the only way to do so) So my advice is don't concern your self with the wooden benches or overly-friendly people, just go for you and most of all for HIM.

Answer 5

Yeah you maybe right, or you could just be in the wrong kind of church for you. I go to a baptist church and I like it. I feel comfortable and I like most of the people I know there. The other thing is that maybe you are doing some things in your life that you know are wrong and when you go to church you begin feeling guilty from doing them. There are many answers to your question I say you should sit back and explore what the issue is and try to fix it. You should enjoy going and enjoy the people who you know there. It should not make you feel guilty but good and rejuvenated.

Answer 6

We all are fallen human beings. We all have sinned. But the church is about people realizing their need for forgiveness and finding it in what Jesus did for us when he died on the cross and rose from the dead. But, I can remember times when I went to church before I accepted Jesus as my savior. I didn't understand the love that was being shown, I felt uncomfortable with it. I knew what my past was and I knew that I was a sinner. I felt it more strongly though when I went to church. The remedy for that was being forgiven by God. Then the guilt, condemnation and shame where gone.

Answer 7

If you feel bad when you go to church. It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We have cushions on or chairs (thank heaven)
The people that hug me are truely my family and I have a relationship with them. Maybe you should start listening and applying the truths that you are hearing.The only reason you keep hearing the same sermon over and over again is because you are not getting it. Apply it to your life and get involved.

Answer 8

I think it is deliberate. If we don't regularly take a critical view of ourselves we can easily fall into the trap of justifying our misdeeds to ourselves and maybe a LITTLE guilt is a worthwhile price to pay for a better and more charitable society.
Just don't get hung up on a guilt complex.
Maybe finding a church that reminds you of your Christian obligations without trying to lay a big guilt trip on you would be a better choice.
Some people need a little reminder, some need to be beaten over the head with it. You choose.

Answer 9

Hmmm I go to church 3 times a week and do not experience the unrest you seem to have. I thus conclude that there i some more obvious reason for your discomfort...let me speculate here. Could it be that you are not yet surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life? You have a inner sense of right and wrong and I suspect that the wrong you do has been eating at you and more so around people that are in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. My hypothesis is easy to disprove, just ask yourself, "Am I sold out to Jesus?" If you can honestly say yes then the guilt you feel is environmental, if not then you may need to examine yourself to see if you need to become closer to the Lord.

Answer 10

It is not church that makes you feel like a sinner but rather your inability to deal with the fact that God loves you and has shed his grace all over you. Once you can handle the fact that God loves you, you will be overwhelmed with a warm fuzzy feeling and not be concerned about being a sinner. As a matter of fact, you won't want to sin anymore as you won't want to disappoint God any more. I do't know how old you are but surely once in your life you figured out that some one actually loved you and do you remember the feeling you got once you figured that out? Don't think about the time you loved some one but think about the time when you figured out that some one actually loved you. Wasn't that great? Well it's the same thing...only grander. God loves you right now...you just need to figure it out.