10 Toxic Traditions That Are Killing the Church

Making church services something we endure rather than enjoy.

For some reason we’ve gotten it into our heads that church isn’t done right unless you’re bored, that if you enjoy church too much, you’re probably sinning, because church is supposed to be endured rather than enjoyed. That if, God forbid, guests have such an enjoyable experience that they actually want to come back and find out more about God the following week, that that somehow doesn’t honor God. Boring people and making church an endurance contest doesn’t glorify God. Seeing a place filled with lost sheep looking for their way home brings glory to God. And lost sheep won’t come back if we make something they have to endure rather than enjoy. It’s okay to laugh in church. It’s okay to have fun. Jesus isn’t still in the grave, so why do church services have to resemble funerals? Jesus is alive, let’s throw a party!