Irritations/Distractions In The Pews

Okay. Yep. But I would have to get up and go to the bathroom anyway. I would just sit in a different place.

 

I try not to get irritated at the little stuff like noisy kids or candy wrappers. I'm bothered more by what happens OUTSIDE the church building, like gossip and ungodly behavior. In light of eternity, those little irritations won't really matter, but our heart attitudes will matter.

 

I have found this distracting to a degree:

While I don't have a problem with fellowship & we should make vistors feel welcomed to our church, I'm not too fond of what our family has dubbed "The Handshake Ritual". Fellowship should occur before & after a church service, not during.

I believe this makes first time visitors feel somewhat uneasy & singled out. Most of the time I will generally see church members greeting each other (I know that's not always the case).

 

Too often the new people (and the shy) are ignored because they remain in the pew while the members walk around and greet one another.

Too often when I have visited a new church, I got very few if any welcomes or handshakes. I generally don't go back to those churches.

If a new person isn't worthy of a welcome, then that's not a place where I want to be.

 

Yeah, but then sometimes they greet you but that's it. No one comes up after to talk or seems interested in you. I admit if I had to find a church now, I'd be depressed. I'm glad I'm in a decent church.

 

That is why you would find me in the very front pew...less distracting if one cannot see folks in front...the noise does filter up from behind....I personally find it offensive those who routinely enter after the beginning..and those who leave before the end.

I agree with the amazing lack of bladder control some folk have..for goodness sakes.

Mobile phones....I forgot to turn mine off once and the dinky tune was so mortifyingly embarrassing I was praying that God would strike me dead rather than face the death stares around me...:laugh:

 

Come to our church and you'll get invited to dinner at least twice. Our resident cookie lady will ask for your address so she can drop off a few dozen.

 

we should be careful that we aren't someone elses distraction in worship

 

I agree, I hate to have the worship service broken up by this (pet peeve). Our handshake ritual (better known as the welcome & greeting) is done at the very beginning of the service, right after the announcements and before the call to worship. Normally, one of the pastors will make a point to ask the congregants to find someone you don't know & welcome them. Often, they are not visitors, just another person you may not know -- which happens in larger churches.