"Church is stupid!"

     I counted up today that I have attended over 6,000 church services in my life!  For many of them I had little desire to be there.  I think it was because it was "just another church service."  I can't tell you how many times I rolled my eyes when a Sunday School teacher asked a simple question that I had heard a million times, the number of sermons I have slept through, or the number of church pot lucks I have eaten.
     Unfortunately, I didn't realize how good I really had it.  I fell into a very common trap.  Paul talks about it in 1 Corinthians 11 (the Message) "You must never let familiarity breed contempt."  Even though I rarely said it out loud, I felt like church was the most boring place on earth and didn't understand why I had to be dragged there.  I guess I didn't realize how ugly contempt for the things of God really was until I heard it come out of my friends mouth.
      I was staying at a friends house who went to my church.  We had played together on a Sunday afternoon and it was time to go back to church for the Sunday night service.  He started arguing with his Mom about how his favourite TV show was on and he didn't want to go to church.  As the argument began to escalate he started shouting things like, "I hate Church" and "Church is stupid."  Even though I did't like church, I knew better than to say things like that.  I stepped away from him because I thought God was going to strike him with lightening bolts.
     Today as I look back on all of those church services that I had to go to, I am so grateful.  What a privilege it was to worship with my parents and grandparents.  I will never forget the sound of my grandfathers voice singing to the God he had followed for decades.  I won't forget watching my grandmother as she flipped through the well worn pages of her faithful Bible during a church service.  I can't shake the amazing feeling of kneeling down at an altar to pray with my parents and little brother.  But because I experienced those things so often, I didn't realize the mountain of blessings that I was taking for granted.        
     Now I strive to see the sacred in the every-day ordinary.  When I walk into "just another church service," I get chills and can't help but thinking to myself, "I love this church."  As I hear the word preached, I strive to mentally "sit on the edge of my seat" waiting for that priceless wisdom of God's word that I get to hear.
     I repent of letting familiarity breed contempt in my life!  I realize that cynicism, and a critical spirit can callous my heart beyond recognition.
     I challenge you to watch your cynicism meter and to ask yourself a difficult question:
        Where have I allowed familiarity to breed contempt in my life?