Question for everybody: What do you remember from the very last time you attended church?

Question

I remember the church leaders standing on the porch to the church swearing a blue streak among themselves. That's when I decided to stop going to church.

This is for everyone who has gone/goes to church. If you have never been in a church in your life, what do you remember from the very last circle, mosque, synagogue, temple,etc. meeting?

Answer 1

I remember the priest blessing the animals outside after the service and wishing I'd brought my lil doggie with me. I mean he's Jewish, but he can pass as Catholic.

Anyways it was a nice service. My father was not able to go (ill) and so I went for him.

Answer 2

The last time I was in a church was a few years ago when I attended with my mother after a surgery..

I remember seeing a lot of people I had known since childhood but had not seen in years (I live in a different state than my parents)...

I remember noticing that the church had been re-carpeted and the pews reupholstered since my last visit (In my opinion the old colors were by far a better choice than the new)..

I also remember the piano, when I had last visited the piano was a dark colored baby grand (donated by a member in the 1970's) The piano I saw was a light tone baby grand.. My mother informed me that the original piano (One I had practiced on many many times, my father was a bishop and I had access to the piano many evenings while he met with members in an office, I would sit in the chapel playing the piano) had been damaged (Dropped about 15 feet and smashed into a few hundred pieces) during the remodel and a new piano was donated in it's place... (I loved that piano and playing it in a caverous empty room with fabulous accoustics was great)..

Answer 3

What counts as "church", I remember the last time I went into a church, but can't distinctly remember the last time I went to a church service. I can however remember the last time I went to a Muslim prayer meeting, and the last time I went to the Sihk equivalent of "church". Do these count?

For the Sihks, the food was amazing, and the people were pretty cool, though a few of them didn't seem to like me being there. The Muslim prayer meeting had more open people, but was far more boring to an outsider. The last time I was in a church I was with a friend who needed to talk to a priest about something or another that he loaned out.

Answer 4

I remember that many members of the church were rude, the preacher preached things that slowly went in one ear and out the other. Preaching is one thing but actually preaching about God without putting on an act is another. And yes I remember the collection plate, being passed around and me never giving a dime. Remeber that a church is supposed to be the house of God..but I did not feel like I was in God's presence which is why I stopped attending. The worst sinners go to church and expect to be saved just becasue they attend. It takes more than a church visit to receive the full effect of Christ and I can say that I have learned it outside of church.

Answer 5

We have church at home because the churches today aren't worth jack. My father was ordained a pastor, and in my opinion, he's a lot more real than most of the idiots out there preaching today.

I remember a long sermon that I really didn't care about. I remember loud, ridiculous music that was incredibly conformist. I remember mindless words that were really stereotypical.

I remember not liking it.

The last time we had church at home, we actually studied the Bible and what God had to say, rather than what some guy up there preaching had to say.

I like church at home better. It's real.

-Kara

Answer 6

I am SO sorry that you had a bad experience, however just because some church leaders act the way that you describe, do not give up on God, and finding a church that really worships God and loves others. I have. Yesterday was a great day with my fellow brothers and sisters- my family is going through something very rough, and God and the body of believers there lifted us up. Don't let a bad experience keep you away.

Answer 7

That would be yesterday for me :)

What I remember most is my Pastor read a poem that he wrote about how his father became a Christian at the age of 94 after having heart surgery and how that healed a separation between them that had lasted over 20 years and finally he was reunited with his father.

Also how he got called in to speak at a local high school on whether the government should allow prayer in schools. Hehe he gave an answer that the teacher really did not expect! It was pretty neat!

Answer 8

Last time I went to church the minister railed on the evils of compassionate parenting and Dr, Spock. He advocated the use of the "rod" to school children. He was in favor of corporal punishment in schools. He blamed all social ills on non-Christians and too few beatings and mandatory prayers in public schools.
My husband who was a new father and a youth worker for abused children was livid, as was I. I pretended to want to check on my daughter in the nursery so that I could leave. I will never go back.

The last time I was in circle, my family, my friends and I met in the woods. We meditated on all the things, people and ideas we had to let go of this year and our attitudes toward letting go. We said a final good bye to those things. Afterward we drummed, shared meals, slept outside under cedar trees, drank a little wine, roasted marshmallows, laughed and then went home. I hope to do it again soon.

EDIT: You know, that isn't right. That memory of church was my last at a Baptist church. I went to the UU church a couple times, and a pet blessing and a Christmas music service at an Episcopal church.

Answer 9

Dancing around the central table at an Orthodox synagogue, despite the fact they knew I was not Jewish, neither ethnically nor religiously.

I remember the Russian immigrant who dutifully stood by my side and at every transition, helped me find the next prayer in the prayer book so I could follow along.

I remember their laughter when I drove past them walking home since Orthodox do not drive vehicles on Shabbat, and it was not a mocking laughter.

I remember it was a pretty good experience.

I've got no intent of converting but man has my every experience at a Synagogue been amazing.

Answer 10

Ah, it was about six months ago, for my son's wedding. It was in a Greek Orthodox Church, but I don't remember much of it. I was too busy staring at my ex-wife, who decided to wear a low-cut dress, and bring her boyfriend to the ceremony. The whole experience is really just a big blur, and two days later I had a heart attack, and had to get bypass surgery.

So, in a sense, I don't remember the ceremony all that well, but I sure as hell remember the day.

Answer 11

I think the last time I was in a church was when I was going to a Christian school. The last thing I recall about that was some of the boys in my class pelted me with rocks until I was cut up and bleeding, calling me a "witch." That was the first time and place in my life the word was applied to me and it only made me explore the concept further.