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I Want to be Uncomfortable

My family recently visited a new church. The building was beautiful. The people were kind. I admired the diversity in ages, apparent class, and race. I liked what I saw. Huge modern monitors hung everywhere, the newest technology surrounded us. Organization. There was a secure check in system for the children and an apparent wonderful program for my daughter’s age already in process. 

Then the music started. Talented vocalist raised their voices.  But then the leaders on stage were moving a little too much. 

Out of the crowd, I saw a couple hands raise. I shifted in my seat. 

I heard an “Amen” yelled out and I bit my lip. 

The preacher stepped forward and began his sermon. I got lost in the words for a while and then I noticed a few people wiping away tears. It was a little uncomfortable for me. 

And then I realized something. CHURCH SHOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE!

If I believe this, if I really believe this, church should get a little out of hand sometimes. 

If someone is hearing for the first time that they are forgiven of their tormenting sins, I should hear an “Amen.”  

If I am really praising the King of Kings and Lord of Lords then I should expect some movement during the worship.

Now, I am not getting into a debate about styles, there are many factors for picking a church, the most important being whether or not the Bible is taught and followed, and I want to know it is REAL!  But church is more than preference and style. 

I want genuine tears wiped away, I want praise that is not for show, and sinners repenting and loving JESUS. 

But I want to be rubbed the wrong way. I want my life to change. I want to hear God’s word and be convicted of sin in my life. I want to cry when I see a need and I want to help someone!  I want to not be able to contain the praise for the God of my life that is swelling up in my heart!

God Almighty has searched me and knows me!  The One who made the skies loves me and has a plan for my life for me to prosper!  The Heavenly Lord of Hosts knit me together in my mother’s womb and he holds my future!  Can I get an AMEN?!

38 thoughts on “I Want to be Uncomfortable”

  3. I can relate – I was a Lutheran and Mormon and the first time I was witness to such a church I thought surely a squirrel was let lose in the church! Until then, I never knew you were allowed to speak in church! šŸ™‚ you were witness to the movement of the holy spirit and worship of the Lord just like David was!

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  5. Oh, Amen!! Those little twinges of discomfort are not always a bad thing at all. It’s okay to feel things, it’s desirable even.

    Love is like that too, it’s sometimes uncomfortable, painful even, but it is so worth it. The saddest thing of all is those who are afraid to feel it, those who fear discomfort. When we do that to ourselves, we miss out on something awesome.

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  8. My thoughts exactly! I grew up in a very conservative church where (very seriously) our ‘contemporary’ service was a polka service (There is something just not quite right about Amazing Grace as a polka IMHO. And… this wasn’t that long ago. Mid ’80’s.) But now, I go to a church that is alive and vibrant. It is far more exciting (albeit uncomfortable.)
    This Sunday the Pastor preached about forgiveness, not just other people but primarily forgiving ourselves and about how forgiveness does not necessarily always include restoration of a relationship. Tears everywhere. I was a mess, too. My Germanic Stoicism went out the window. But yes! That is exactly how it should be. Jesus is good but He is not safe. And that is how our churches should be, too. ā¤ Thanks for posting! šŸ™‚

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  9. AMEN (imagine me jumping up and saying that šŸ˜‰)
    I remember when I started raising my hands in worship as an adult…so freeing. I remember feeling the desire to outwardly worship as a kid singing hymns in the church I was raised in but “knew” it would be “wrong” to do so. And now we go to a church that sings both hymns and contempory worship songs. I love having the freedom to sing those beloved hymns with my hands held high or even down on my knees…He died that I could LIVE…All to Jesus I surrender, It is well with my soul!!! Praise Him!!!

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    • Praise Jesus! Yes! Jesus is freedom! Not rules, not guilt, not conformity, FREEDOM! Jesus was completely out of control in the eyes of his society, turning over tables and sending demons into pigs. I want to be more like Jesus šŸ˜Š not crazy for crazy sake, but do what is right for whatever sake.

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  10. Amen Caroline! Ritual can become the center of our worship instead of GOD. GOD loves to hear our voices and for us to praise him with music and movement and even in heavenly tongues. My opinion is that we should not limit our praise to him in ritualistic ideals or ideas. Our GOD is limitless and deserves as much praise and honor as we are capable of giving him.

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  11. Definitely amen from me. I’ve been to everything from singing dancing black Pentecostal to quietly intense Chinese house churches but you hit the nail on the head, the style is not important its sincerity (like most long term Christians I can spot a fake in a moment.)

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  20. I agree with you completely, Caroline. Church should not be comfortable. It should be about religious doctrine and dogma but about praise and worship of our Lord God and the King of Kings!

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  22. Thank you Caroline! I find so many people want to come out of church happy and inspired. I think we need to be challenged to be the best people we can be in Christ. Jesus didn’t get killed on a Cross because he was nice. He disturbed a lot of people. I hope a lot of people will have read your blog. We need more disturbances in our churches around the world. Blessings Roland Legge

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  24. Amen! I have been praying for a similar change in my heart over the past few years after finding myself very hard-hearted and unemotional – unmoved by the things that move the Lord we serve. God is so good! He honors those prayers and I find myself more in line with what He finds important.

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