“Last weeks service was nothing but The Word and praise worship. It was a true sanctuary from the mess in the world.”
I understand that you go to church to feel good — as a majority of people do — to enter a sanctuary from the mess in the world. I totally respect that. I even respect people who choose to go to snake handling and atheist “churches”. Hooray for the First Amendment!
I can feel good with a pedicure. My dad — a preacher — said that if the congregation leaves church feeling good then he hasn’t done his job. People should leave feeling convicted of something, their consciences tweaked, realizing they can be better, etc.
Per your last paragraph...I feel that that every day