Why do we have to be bored again?

You're bored again in church? That's probably because your pastor has been recycling the same stale anecdotes for the last ten years, and they're not funny anymore. Or his sermon notes look like one of those stupid listicles on the internet that takes forty pages to make a ten-second point. It might be because he speaks in a tone somewhere between "hummingbird marathon" and "bedroom fan," and puts you right to sleep. Maybe the subject doesn't apply to you.

It's also possible you're bored again because the music isn't peppy, repetitive, or loud enough for your tastes. Your church's décor might be dated. The people around you might be as uninterested as you, creating a self-sustaining cascade of drab, unenthusiastic slouching. You may not have gotten enough sleep the night before, 'cause reasons.

You might also be "bored again" because you think church services are about entertaining you and satisfying your personal preferences. Instead of seeing a gathering of Christians as a time to worship God, serve others, and learn, you're expecting some combination of karaoke and stand-up comedy. I (don't) hate to break it to you, but you're not the best thing since sliced manna, yourself. If things are that bad, what exactly are you doing to make them better?

So, if you're routinely "bored again" by church, consider that perhaps part of the problem is your expectations for church. Or, your attitude towards it in the first place. It might even mean you need to be born again, so you won't be as inclined to be bored again.

If that suggestion bothers you, convicts you, or otherwise gets you going—congratulations! Use some of that enthusiasm on Sunday morning.

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