If someone told you this--- what would you think

[TW]

There are some people that simply aren't comfortable in public, social settings such as church diners, etc.


TW

[MacUser]

These are exact words.


If you do not want to fellowship with your church body, then there is something wrong with you


If you were told this, what would you think. Do you agree or disagree?

Clarification, please: is it a church body that is so dysfunctional people don't want to fellowship with it? If not, if it is a healthy body, then it would seem natural to desire contact, wouldn't it?

what is dysfunctional? Or what do you mean by that

Penny, just like some families are dysfunctional (a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly) some churches are dysfunctional. There are congregations in which people assemble to worship in the same building, but wouldn't stop to speak to one another in the aisles of WalMart. There are churches full of gossip, backbiting, legalism, full of condemnation and judgment... a toxic environment. Not sure why ANYONE would want to 'fellowship' with a group like that -- if, by fellowship, you mean hanging around socially.

My church is very diverse, and within it there are numerous groups of people who prefer one another's company over the company of others. Some call those cliques. I call them affinity groups.

PG is spot on as it relates to closed denominational systems. I have a more holistic approach to the meaning of "Church" as seen by my previous post.

Speaking directly on what this person could be attempting to do.. ( although it isn't clear from your post) is to control behavior. That said "outside" individual is acting different than the rest and that is a terrible threat to the controlling "affinity" group ( as PG states ).

When this is perceived as a threat these personal attacks began and further isolation of this individual occurs ( when it fact it could be a TREMENDOUS BLESSING God is opening up for this closed group and they need to be embracing )...

They are attempting to control this perceived deviant behavior as it relates to it's narrow denominational ideal or control.

Just a thought from your perceived tone.