I Don't Want to Go to Church Today Thread

[LA Ute]

[wuapinmon]

Well, I went today. The church doors were locked after the Sacrament, as they have been for years, so I got locked out twice. There used to be a housing project behind the church, and people would cut across our parking lot as a shortcut so they didn't have to walk the corner. They were all black. So, we have to lock the doors. No one said that was the reason, but that's my best guess. Do you know how awful it is to show up to a church and have the doors locked? How awful it is to go get something from your car and have the doors locked and you're outside knocking for minutes waiting for someone to happen by? What about someone who comes a little late and is locked out because they're a visitor. Of the seven entrances, only the main one that faces the street is unlocked, and even then it's only one or two of the four doors. Two bishops have heard my opinion about this and about putting up signs. Nada. The only sign we do have is a large "NO SMOKING ON THE PREMISES" sign that looks ca. 1965 vintage.

[MarkGrace]

My wife suggested that we go camping at least two weekends per month this year, including the Sundays. We need to spend quality time together as a family, and fighting the kids to get ready/combatting the potty talk during church/fighting for the rest of the day over the fact that we had to go to church in the first place isn't her definition of quality family time. I am 100% OK with that.

Camping twice a month? I can't imagine what any kid could do to merit that kind of punishment.

[il Padrino Ute]

Well, I went today. The church doors were locked after the Sacrament, as they have been for years, so I got locked out twice. There used to be a housing project behind the church, and people would cut across our parking lot as a shortcut so they didn't have to walk the corner. They were all black. So, we have to lock the doors. No one said that was the reason, but that's my best guess. Do you know how awful it is to show up to a church and have the doors locked? How awful it is to go get something from your car and have the doors locked and you're outside knocking for minutes waiting for someone to happen by? What about someone who comes a little late and is locked out because they're a visitor. Of the seven entrances, only the main one that faces the street is unlocked, and even then it's only one or two of the four doors. Two bishops have heard my opinion about this and about putting up signs. Nada. The only sign we do have is a large "NO SMOKING ON THE PREMISES" sign that looks ca. 1965 vintage.

If the Bishop wanted to lock the doors of our ward house, I'd see that as my ticket to go home. A get-out-of-jail-free card as it were.

[chrisrenrut]

I would have loved to go to church today. Even to teach our primary class of 10- 5 year olds. I usually look forward to church, as I like being able to teach and be a positive influence on the kids. I usually enjoy sacrament meeting, and if I don't, I get a 40 minute nap.

Instead, I spent all day in frigid Blackfoot ID caring for my mother-in-law who is in the end stages of cancer. The sudden onset of seizures was a particularly unpleasant surprise. Hospice workers are truly angels on earth, but apparently they get weekend off.

I hope this doesn't come across as preachy, there are weeks where I find myself not too excited to go to church. But the next time I am able to attend, I will appreciate it more.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Camping twice a month? I can't imagine what any kid could do to merit that kind of punishment.

How did you become such a city boy? I m not talking about Van Camping.

We will sail somewhere and camp. Blake Island is fun, and I hope to put together a 6-8 day trip up to the San Juans. The kids love sailing.

We have some friends who Go out every weekend and have been begging us for years to bring our boat and join them. With church responsibilities (and this last year with a new baby) we have been unable. He is a big racer too, so I will crew for him on the longer races, especially the Round the County race. http://roundthecounty.com/

[MarkGrace]

Sailing the san juans sounds awesome! I'm hoping to get up there in the summer, but I'll definitely be sleeping in a house.

[Uncle Ted]

Well, I went today. The church doors were locked after the Sacrament, as they have been for years, so I got locked out twice. There used to be a housing project behind the church, and people would cut across our parking lot as a shortcut so they didn't have to walk the corner. They were all black. So, we have to lock the doors. No one said that was the reason, but that's my best guess. Do you know how awful it is to show up to a church and have the doors locked? How awful it is to go get something from your car and have the doors locked and you're outside knocking for minutes waiting for someone to happen by? What about someone who comes a little late and is locked out because they're a visitor. Of the seven entrances, only the main one that faces the street is unlocked, and even then it's only one or two of the four doors. Two bishops have heard my opinion about this and about putting up signs. Nada. The only sign we do have is a large "NO SMOKING ON THE PREMISES" sign that looks ca. 1965 vintage.

Why doesn't the bishop send out the missionaries to intercept these people cutting across the parking lot and teach them the gospel? A few weeks of that and folks will more than likely stop cutting across the parking lot to avoid the missionaries.

[Moliere]

I don't mind church. In fact, I often enjoy it. I hate my meetings though. I came home last night, ate dinner, and went to bed. Church meetings wear me out and yesterday was a killer. I did get 11 hours of sleep though.

[Uncle Ted]

I don't mind church. In fact, I often enjoy it. I hate my meetings though. I came home last night, ate dinner, and went to bed. Church meetings wear me out and yesterday was a killer. I did get 11 hours of sleep though.

11 hours? I don't think I ever had 11 hours of meetings.

[Clark Addison]

My wife suggested that we go camping at least two weekends per month this year, including the Sundays. We need to spend quality time together as a family, and fighting the kids to get ready/combatting the potty talk during church/fighting for the rest of the day over the fact that we had to go to church in the first place isn't her definition of quality family time. I am 100% OK with that.

I'd rather go to church. It's over in only three hours.

[Green Monstah]

My wife suggested that we go camping at least two weekends per month this year, including the Sundays. We need to spend quality time together as a family, and fighting the kids to get ready/combatting the potty talk during church/fighting for the rest of the day over the fact that we had to go to church in the first place isn't her definition of quality family time. I am 100% OK with that.

So, a bunch of families in my ward go camping over spring break. After being stuck with crappy campsites due to procrastination the last two years, we reserved our primo campsites early this year, but they were only available from Saturday to Tuesday. I thought there was no way we'd get everyone on board, but to my delight everyone is in (including a member of the bishopric and a high councilor!!)

[Green Monstah]

I don't mind church. In fact, I often enjoy it. I hate my meetings though. I came home last night, ate dinner, and went to bed. Church meetings wear me out and yesterday was a killer. I did get 11 hours of sleep though.

Yeah, I was in meetings/home teaching from 7am to 4pm yesterday (except for the break I took to grab some grub at Burker King; my ox was in the mire--I forgot to eat breakfast, and we're remodeling our kitchen, and there was nothing to eat at home!). That's atypical, but it still sucks.

[wuapinmon]

Why doesn't the bishop send out the missionaries to intercept these people cutting across the parking lot and teach them the gospel? A few weeks of that and folks will more than likely stop cutting across the parking lot to avoid the missionaries.

The housing project has been renovated, and is now a nice for-rent type place, so the pedestrians are gone. Also, we have sister missionaries, and our WML has given them a map where there are "forbidden" to enter.

[Moliere]

More and more I feel alone at church. I figure it might be somewhat my calling as I don't get to socialize much and when I do talk to adults it's usually to ask them to help out with something related to the youth or some parent complaining to me about the way I run things. I sat alone in Priesthood opening exercises today and wondered why in 7 years in my ward that I really don't have any close friends or confidants. It's somewhat depressing. I'm not incredibly social, so some of it is probably my own doing, but it seems that in this ward whenever I start to form a relationship with someone they either move out of the ward or get called somewhere that I no longer see them at church (like primary - happened twice). I find my self halfway in with some of the cliques, but not enough to get invited to stuff. The one guy that I'm close with travels every week so I rarely see him, but at least when he's around on holidays we hang out.

Our family invites people over a lot and they come, but it's rarely reciprocated in any way. We got invited to a Super Bowl party tonight, which was great, but it was the first social event we've been invited to in over a year. Maybe it's because we have kids or because we seem busy and people don't want to bother us, but mostly I feel it's just me.

In any case, today was the first day in a long time that I really didn't want to be at church. If I could, I'd skip church next week just to give it a break, but of course I can't skip because MJ would kill me (I'm kidding, but honestly it would be tough). Stake conference is in 2 weeks and MJ is out of town so maybe I'll just fake a cold and convince the kids we need to stay home. I'm already grateful I have a built in excuse (MJ out of town) to not attend the stake leadership meetings on the Saturday before stake conference. Those meetings are always brutal and I dread going to them. I was already going to skip them this time around but now I have a good excuse to do so.

I think I'm also at my wits end with my calling. It was a really, really rough first 2 years and now that things are moving fine I'm just checked out mentally. Maybe I can pull it back together but I'm really struggling to get excited about weekly mutuals or really anything else. I think I need to be called into primary....