Are you tired of hearing "Turn to Your Neighbor" in church?

If you are tired of hearing a preacher telling you to turn to the person beside you in church and speak a declaration, you are not alone. It is common in some Christian churches for pastors to stop in the middle of their sermons and say to the congregants, "Turn to your neighbor," and say such and such. 

This phrase is often followed by "It's your season It's on the way, it's on the way, it's on the way," or "This is your year for blessing."

Sometimes the speaker will say, "Turn to your neighbor, give you the catch phrase, and say, "Now turn to the one on the other side." These words are usually followed by telling the person to your left and or your right that their blessing is on the way. 

This practice was discontinued during COVID when people stopped attending services or parishoners sat far away from one another. Each time I see this on a televised service, I cringe. 

I belonged to a church where this phrase was common, but some people did not like it. I recall turning to the people seated beside me, who kept looking straight ahead, which made things awkward.

At first, I felt rejected, but learned not to take it personally. I soon realized that I was becoming annoyed with being told to turn to my neighbor. This gimmick is supposed to break the ice and get those in the pews or chairs to feel comfortable. In my opinion, it makes some folk more hostile.

The early church began with believers in the Resurrection of Jesus meeting together to eat and fellowship in homes. They were familiar with one another and did not need icebreakers.

I grew up in a time when churches were community-based, and those who attended lived in or had grown up in or married into the community. Services felt like family affairs, and neighboring congregations often fellowshipped together.

Today, churches may have people who drive from other locations who are not part of the local community. Congregants who grew up together or have been in the church for a long time may feel a sense of camaraderie. New members and long-time parishioners may not feel comfortable turning to someone they don't know.

Turning to the person seated beside you and making a confession is not the same as prayer. This is not biblical, and there is no evidence that it serves a purpose. The only thing it is good for is giving the false illusion of talking to those seated next to you and giving a false sense that God is about to move a specific way in your life.

Connecting in church is supposed to be about the shared love of Jesus. Telling strangers to turn to their neighbor seated beside them offers no spiritual benefit. Based on what many churchgoers are saying, it's actually turning people off.

Catch phrases are popular in many churches, and unsuspecting or new believers don't realize they are being duped. Turning to your neighbor might appear spiritual because so many preachers are asking congregants to do so. It is a group exercise that has little impact on whether prayer is answered.

I recall a pastor who would command members to say, "Neighbor, oh neighbor before giving them the declaration of the week. People complained behind the scenes, but no one spoke outwardly about being annoyed.

Preachers will probably continue to tell congregants to turn to people seated next to them, and some people in the seats will keep replying. If someone does not turn their head, they might just be frustrated with it all and desire a message about Jesus rather than being told to say Turn to your neighbor."