I Attend Church to Empower My Love of Christ

I Attend Church to be

Strengthened

Belong

Serve

Keep Sabbath

Not forsaking the assembling ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25)

Where two or more are gathered together there Christ will be also.

Why do I actively attend church? I am going to give away my age here. When I was young most people attended church. Frankly, they attended church because most things were closed. Today, church attendance has become optional. We are free to do many more exciting things. Religion is no longer deemed as important as it used to be.

In addition, we can attend a virtual church. We can turn on our television or watch a service on our cellphone. We can listen to a preacher on the radio as we drive somewhere.

I often hear the phrase “I’m spiritual but not religious.” Usually what they mean is they have more interesting things to do on Sunday. Attending church is not a necessity.

I Attend Church to Strengthen My Love of Christ

Jesus said the first commandment is to love God.

To be truly spiritual takes effort. A weekly reminder strengthens me to contemplate Jesus. With covid 19 restrictions, I missed having my spiritual batteries recharged each week.

We can be very forgetful. When we are preoccupied with the world, it is easy to fall into the enticements the world offers so freely. Attending church empowers me to focus on spiritual things. Pondering spiritual things helps me feel serenity in a chaotic world.

One reason I attend church is to help me feel peace. That alone would make attending church worthwhile.

I Attend Church to Belong

Much of the world is filled with fractured relationships. At church I have found a group of like-minded people. Not that we agree on every topic. But we are all striving to serve the Lord in the best way possible.

Together we raise our voices to sing His praises. Singing hymns with my congregation is indeed a joyful noise. It makes my heart swell and often brings tears to my eyes. It is a unique blend of singers all part of the Lord’s family.

We are a family. We support each other. When I was sick, they brought me meals. When my husband passed away, my church family was there for me. I am part of a congregation which cares for each other.

I realize every organization has its clicks. People who exclude others for one reason or another. I try to not be part of those clicks. They have enough members already. This leaves me free to befriend anyone and everyone. To welcome each individual to God’s house.

In the Scriptures we read, where two or three are gathered together in his name, he will be there also.

Attending Church Empowers Me to Serve Others

Jesus said the second commandment is to love our neighbor.

I have found being affiliated with a church helps me serve others. My church is fantastic at organizing community service projects. As a group, we are able to do many things we would not be able to do as individuals.

I enjoy serving others. Serving as a group means sharing the joy.

We have collected coats for the homeless. Sent clothing and shoes to refugee camps. Collected food for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets. Every year we do an Angel tree to provide toys for children in struggling families.

Jesus asks us to serve our fellow man. We can do that more effectively by being part of a genuine church.

With a virtual church we can send money. But we miss the one-to-one service that’s available when attending a brick-and-mortar chapel.

I attend church to receive and give hugs. To be given communion. To ow and ah over a new baby. To smell the flowers on the altar. To teach a Sunday school class of six-year-old. Oh how I love those precious little ones.

Attending Church Empowers Me to Keep the Sabbath

Keeping the Sabbath day holy is another commandment.

Exodus 20: 7-10 says: “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all they work. But the sabbath day is the Lord’s Day. In it will thou shalt not do any work.”

Mathew tells us that Jesus attended synagogue on the Sabbath “as was his custom.” Therefore if I want to follow Christ’s example I must also attend church of the Sabbath.

Personally, I don’t care if you consider Saturday or Sunday the Sabbath. I have heard legitimate arguments for both days. But the commandment found in Exodus does not specify a day. It says to set aside one day in seven to worship God.

When I was young the Sabbath was easy to keep. All the stores were closed. All the entertainment places were shut down. Today, that is no longer true.

I try not to work or to make others work on Sunday. One way I prepare for Sunday is by filling my car’s gas tank on Saturday. I often prepare Sunday meals on Saturday.

I owned a construction company for 30 years. Occasionally customers would demand we work on Sunday. I would take the problem to the Lord in prayer. Something always seemed to happen that prevented us from working on Sunday. To me it was simply God answering my prayers.

My point is the world we live in makes keeping the sabbath holy difficult. Attending church makes it easier.