the blog
Why do you go to church?
by bruce
January 14, 2010 | Life | 14 responses
So you wake up on Sunday morning. Time to get ready for church. Maybe you want to go or maybe you don’t (the evidence indicates fewer and fewer of us are actually committing to the experience). So answer me this Batman–why do you go? What makes it worth the effort? What reasons would you give someone who says they see no point in it?
Anyone have a good answer?
Community. I don't think Christianity can exist without community. Community is really the ONLY reason I have too.
I completely agree with you. The main reason I go to church (besides the fact that my husband is on staff) is community.
Another reason is a faith community is a great avenue to reach the surrounded community and get invested. I love that, as one person, I can impact the community in small ways, but with group of people, we can make an even larger difference. There are experiences I have been a part of through my church that i would have never been able to do on my own.
I agree with J.R. We only know Christ through the community which he created and the only way to faithfully follow him is through that community. So that is why I participate in the life of a local church. Now one reason I keep getting up on Sunday and go to corporate worship is that it is what the church universal has found to be a means of participating in God's grace.
Now to someone who says they see no point, my specific answer would be based on their particular reason/s. However, I think my answer would emphasize two things:
1. The nature of the faith
2. The necessity of community
I like the free coffee and refreshments..
oh yea.. And worshipping in community stuff too
Community, worship, and solid teaching. My life would be void without all of it.
Reasons to go:
1. God wants us to. Therefore, there must be some benefits to us even if we don't currently know what they all are. This might sound trite, but it really exposes important information about our relationship with Christ, and our attitude toward Him. If you say, "So what? I'm not going to do what God wants unless I feel like it," or "I refuse to obey God until I understand why it's important," then you've got bigger spiritual problems. It doesn't really sound like Jesus is Lord of your life in that case.
2. Being with others who believe the same things and are struggling with the same issues while trying to be godly is encouraging and strengthening for you and others.
3. Loving others and having relationships with them is a big part of being holy, and church is a prime place to do that. Our love for fellow Christians is supposed to be a big part of our witness to non-believers. If you don't associate with other Christians, you can't participate in this witness. In some situations, formal association (i.e. going to church, joining a church/denomination) can speak louder than having a good relationship with only one Christian friend. Also, working together with Christians to worship God and serve others (in or out of the church) is a good spiritual discipline to follow.
4. It's an opportunity to learn something new or go deeper with something you've heard before. (This one is the most relevant for non-Christians who may visit.)
5. For those of us who attend liturgical services, it's when we get communion.
Why I Go (the above, plus the following):
1. To be with friends.
2. The atmosphere created by the architecture and other theologically-loaded art or decorations helps me get in a worshipful mood and mindset. If it's been done "right," these elements can point us to God.
3. I have found that I love praying (particularly in silence) with a large group of people. It seems different to me for some reason. I feel God's presence in a different way when I'm with a group than when I'm alone.
What makes it worth the effort (all of the above, plus):
Even when the sermon and/or the songs are superficial or otherwise defective, the liturgy is always theologically sound and deep, the atmosphere of the sanctuary is always helpful and "says" good theological stuff, and communion is offered.
And those, my friends, are my reasons. I don't think it's a bad thing to skip church every once in a while, though. However, when I do skip church for some reason I am politely apologetic as though I was skipping an already-planned date night with my wife–I had better not do it often and it should be for a special occasion of some sort.
I believe in the Church because it has always been God's primary vehicle to embody hope and love to the world. Even before the NT canon was formed and finalized, people were meeting together to worship, teach, encourage, correct, and rebuke one another. Jesus promises Peter and the disciples that the Church will forever stand… So while the … See Morebride of Christ may be a sad excuse for a spouse at times, our groom is forever faithful. Therefore, we must commit to the life of the local church and the Church Universal, whether we get caught up in the colors of the carpet or not.
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To worship God – to be in His presence worshiping with my brothers and sisters in Christ – true & pure worship – there's nothing like it in this world – breathing in His Spirit. It causes me to invite & bring others to church so that they can experience God and His intimacy too.
Relationships – I can hardly imagine my life void of the relationships I have created by going to "church." I say "church" because the church IS the people…not the building. This family that loves and embraces me when I fall and allows me to do the same to each of its individual members…holds me accountable for my actions and thoughts, encourages me to remain in the word, and loves me unconditionally….much like my heavenly Father does. (obviously no human is capable of the kind of love that God gives…but they love as best they know how) It is in these relationships, along with the teachings and the entire worship package that I continue to learn and grow. I learn how God wants me to treat my spouse…how He wants me to parent my children…and how to truly listen to the guidance of God on important things like "where does He want me to serve?" or "what is the career path He would have me to take?" I am so weak when I try to do it alone. I need God AND a church family that hold me to the fire and keep me on track!
A worship gathering is part of a sacred rhythm in which I enter into kingdom life. For a time the culture of western linearity is swept away by the eternal and I am at one with the body of Christ in worship of our Father.
This is the problem with a western "church" mindset, it is something to go to, to experience, to do rather than as an outflow of our beingness as God's children.
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I attend church to celebrate God's blessings, worship with fellow believers, work through times of grief with loved ones and learn more about God's truth in a communal setting. I attend church to be ministered to and in turn to minister to others. The second chapter of Acts set the template.
I attend church because I think God deserves it, and by "it" I mean "all of the following":
1. public acclamation
2. some "not alone time"
3. me humbling myself enough to admit I not only enjoy community, but need it, and therefore venture into relationship with His people.