FYI, This posting is me totally thinking out loud. (Not that all the others aren’tJ)
This past weekend my oldest son asked me to come to church with him, mom, and little bro. I knew it really meant a lot to him and said sure, I’ll go. I’ve never felt an aversion to church but haven’t felt drawn to go either. I haven’t really felt a need to go. I’ve been to many different churches over the years and I have appreciated each service that I’ve been to but the church that my family goes to is by far the most comfortable that I’ve been in. It has a huge children’s church and the boys really enjoy it. The congregation is a good mix of young thru old and Amy really gets a lot out of her time spent there so all is good in those regards.
I’ve never really felt “drawn” to go to church. I feel like I have a good relationship with God and I draw on his strength throughout my day to get me thru. I guess since I feel like I’ve got a good relationship with God I haven’t felt the need to go to church to “get right with God”. I know there are countless reasons that people go to church and there is no one right answer for everyone but for me I think it’s beneficial because it allows me to really concentrate on my relationship with him. No matter how good you feel about any relationship there is always room for improvement.
I’ve described my fishing trips to friends that don’t fish as forced relaxation. If I take the time to hook the boat up, go to a lake or river and then get out there there’s nothing else to do but fish. I don’t take books, there’s no phone, etc. so the only thing to do is fish. It’s forced relaxation. Well it occurred to me while sitting in the service Sunday that going to church enables me to experience that same feeling in regards to my relationship with God. It gives me uninterrupted time to work on, and appreciate, that relationship. I must say that was a comforting and calming feeling.
January 13, 2009 at 4:28 pm
You know, its always hard to comment on someones religious beliefs….but Im feeling up to the challenge!
Church is a great place for community to gather and become closer as a group, socially and spiritually. Its a reason to keep in touch with the people around you, its kinda like weekly group therapy when you think about it.
As far as the fishing trips go, I think they a great place to thank God for the beautiful planet he created and to appreciate all the tasty critters he gave us to eat.
I have been an on-again, off-again church goer over the years, and the one thing that has happened to me time and time again is people in the congregation start asking me to “join” the church. Makes it feel to much like I’m gonna have to drink the punch at some point, which is kind of a turn-off.
So I prefer to have my own little agreement with God, and we get along just fine.
January 13, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I totally understand the “little agreement with God” statement. I have felt like that myself. The thing I noticed this past weekend was the comfort level while being there.
I mentioned that there was no one right reason for going to church for everyone. By what you’ve written it seems that community togetherness is one of your primary reasons and a strong drawing card for you. I didn’t so much feel that, not that it isn’t there; I just felt the opportunity to really concentrate on God, uninterrupted. During my day to day goings on I feel like I’ve got a good relationship with God but taking some allotted time out to do nothing other than focus on that relationship is comforting. Having the short little connections during the day is important but taking that extra time certainly helps accentuate the relationship. At least for me.
January 14, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Wow
We were all so happy to have you come with us, it really made my day 
Love you!
January 17, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I am very happy to know you, Amy and the boys are enjoying going to church. I believe more and more every day that it is important for each of us to pay attention to our spiritual selves and to work on and nourish our relationship with God. Although each of us can worship privately at any time during our days or nights, making the effort to join with others in doing so only enhances and amplifies our efforts. Dick and I are really enjoying our times at the church we’ve discovered and are feeling more and more every day the importance of it in our lives. It will be good to “compare notes” and share our thoughts about our experiences as we move along. Love you all greatly ~!!!
February 4, 2009 at 2:15 pm
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25
I take this to mean that Christians should gather together and focus on God and encourage each other to explore their relationship with God. And it also means that as the Day of the Lord approaches, we will need to be amongst our own kind giving hope and encouragement to each other more than ever before.
There’s another scripture that I can’t recall that asks what profit to the soul there is when you surround yourself with iniquity. Or “How does it help your relationship with God to be with non-believers?”
And one final thought is this “If you can’t stand to be with them one day a week…why would you want to spend eternity with them in heaven?”
I’ve started attending church far more regularly and think far more deeply about what it means than I ever have before.
Wade
April 1, 2009 at 3:49 am
I never really was much on church but went because it wasn’t worth hearing my parents complain about me going. Afterall, they let me do what I wanted on the weekend so the least I could do was get up by 10:30 and get to church by 11 and home by 12:15. Seemed to be a small price to pay for keeping them quiet. Now fast forward 15 years and I can’t imagine not going to church. Not necessarily in a building but corporately together with family all centered around God. Oh well, my two cents for what its worth. Thanks for the post.