“I am really liking the Sabbaths when we sit on the living room couch and watch church on TV. Sometimes we watch a sermon from one of our universities, or a sermon a friend is preaching on the other side of the earth, but mostly we watch our own local church. We miss the conversations with friends in the foyer, but we like being at home with family, on the couch, safe, listening at a distance.”
             – a post on Facebook

Many of us have said something similar in the past few months. One of my friends even describes the joy of watching church while still in his PJs. From the couch, of course. Assuming that you may be part of a “Couch Christian” congregation, here are five questions for you to consider after this Sabbath’s sermons:

1. What did I hear today that made me want to open my Bible and read more about the message?

2. What did I hear today that made me so uncomfortable that I considered changing the channel?

3. What did I hear in a message today that was so awesome I am eager to share it with a friend?

4. How will today’s church experience help me become a better follower of Christ?

5. What in my life this week will show others I went to church on Sabbath?

Pull these questions up on your phone during Sabbath dinner and ask the family to take a few minutes to consider each one. If you have some other “Couch Christian” friends, choose a time during the week when you can discuss the five questions together, maybe even in your living room with popcorn and apples.

Worship from the couch is good, but it will be better if you purposefully let the messages sink in and think about how what you heard could deepen your experience as a follower of Jesus.

These five questions, by the way, are not the “end all” of post-worship conversation. However, they may begin some healthy discussions that will lead to more questions, and to some exciting life-changing adventures.

Let me know how it goes at Dick.Duerksen@oc.npuc.org.