Why should I attend church? Why should I drag myself out of bed – or harder yet, drag myself out of bed and wrestle with both the kids and my reluctant spouse – just to attend another worship service? What’s the point? Does it really matter? Why not listen to a podcast of (insert your favorite preacher here: Andy Stanley, Tim Keller, Ravi Zacharias, etc.) while sitting on the back porch? What’s church good for any way? Why does it even matter?
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I started asking myself these questions a few days ago. I’ve been down this path before. This time my reflections were prompted by the convergence of a handful of things:
- First, I heard someone say, “the church is more like a comfortable sweater than something useful, like a search engine.”
- Second, someone asked me what I was going to do to “stave off the annual summer attendance slump.”
- Third, the initial reports from the Pew Study suggested that Christianity was tanking faster than the Cubs playoff hopes. (For more on the Pew Study, stay tuned for my next post.)
- Four, my growing sense that the number of people who assume that attending church is a good idea has recently gotten a lot smaller.
But what really drove me to this topic – and led me to write this post – is my belief that the split that is occurring between the “casual Christianity camp” on the one hand and the “convictional Christianity camp” on the other finds many of you straddling the divide. I’m writing to pull you into the Convictional camp.
Please understand, very few people intentionally decide to join the Nominals (i.e., – i.e., the “casual camp” that the Pew study suggests is increasingly leading to the “Nones”). But unless you decide not to, the undertow wins. I am writing because of my belief that the current pulling us downstream is getting swifter all the time, which means the same level of conviction that worked last year may not work this one. If your faith – and its corresponding moral muscle – is not growing, you will get swept out with the tide.
So let me ask you, which camp are you in? How would you chart your spiritual development during the last 18 months? Are you taking ground? Losing it? Hopelessly stalled?
In the list that follows I assume a lot. (I do nothing to persuade you that growing, praying, serving, etc. are good things). My modest goal is to make the case as to why you should make church attendance (even during the summer) a priority. This is what I’d say to you if you said, “I don’t really see the point. I think I get more out of a family bike ride, watching Meet the Press or reading the New York Times. And I feel just as spiritually alive – maybe more so.”
Why should you make attending weekly worship services a part of the cadence of your life? Here, in no particular order, are ten reasons.
One: This is The Plan. The church is not my idea, nor is it the brainchild of some 11th century monk. It’s God’s idea and we find it baked into everything from the earliest pages of Genesis – where God rested on the seventh day – through Christ’s example and admonition. One day a week is supposed to be holy, which means it’s supposed to be different. And high on God’s list of how it’s supposed to be different is this: it is to include corporate times of prayer, worship, fellowship and instruction. God went so far as to designate certain people (e.g., Levites in the Old Testament and pastors in the New) to make sure it happens.
Two: God Commands It. I try to avoid using guilt to motivate behavior – principally because it doesn’t work for long. But here’s the deal: whether hearing this makes you feel guilty or not, we have been instructed “not to forsake the assembling together, as some are in the habit of doing, but to meet together,” encouraging one another to love and good deeds. The Creator of Heaven and Earth has given you a list of assignments, and joining others for a special time of reflection and prayer is on that list.
Three: You do not want to turn down this gift. Jesus famously said that we were not created for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was created for us. That’s code for: it’s a gift. Because God loves you he has given you a special day to be restored. Think of it this way: Done right, the Sabbath helps you navigate the rest of the week with more purpose, energy and joy. And if that analogy doesn’t work, here’s a different one. Skipping weekly worship is like driving a car when the wheels are out of alignment. Things wear out and break down much more quickly.
Four: It’s the Least You Can Do. After Jesus finished dying for your sins (and mine) and wrestling death into submission, He commissioned a movement. And He expects all of us to be a part of it. That is, Jesus expects those looking to Him for forgiveness and eternal life to show up for team meetings.
Five: It’s a Great Way to Make a Difference. The church has had some big misses in the past – the Crusades and Inquisition come to mind – but it’s also done a lot of good. In fact, I’d argue that for every local congregation where funds are being misappropriated or the message is being proclaimed but not modeled, that there are hundreds who are serving meals to the hungry, advocating for the poor and otherwise pushing back the night. In fact, Peter Drucker said there is no other group that even comes close to approaching the church for effectiveness in caring for the poor or advancing the common good.
Six: The Church is Weaker Without You. The Bible never defines the church as a building. The term is either used to describe the movement launched to spread God’s story or the people who have pledged their life to Jesus. In either case, it’s intended to include you. Indeed, it’s significantly weaker without your active participation.
Seven: Your Excuses are Lame. When you are reviewing your life, you do not want to say, “I know Jesus died for me and was supposed to get involved in advancing his work, but the time church services met were not convenient and I didn’t exactly love the music. Besides, the seats were uncomfortable and the parking lot was crowded.” And while I am offending you, let me add this: while it’s theoretically possible, it’s very, very unlikely that your child is going to play in the NHL or star in the Olympics, but it’s very likely that they will need a vibrant love for God and unshakable moral character. You might want to rethink what’s in their best interest.
Eight: The Church is the Bride of Christ. It’s pretty common to say, “I am a fan of Jesus. It’s the church I can’t stand.” But I don’t really think that works. After all, the church is called the “bride of Christ,” and if you say to me, “Mike, I like you, but I can’t stand Sheri,” we are not going to be friends. I could go on for a while, adding things like “your kids are watching” or “you are hurting yourself if you do not participate in Holy Communion,” and “first we make our decisions and then our decisions make us,” but I suspect I’ve already made my point (or made you mad). So let me wrap this up with the last two points.
Nine: You are better off making this a settled issue. In his book, How Will You Measure Your Life, Harvard Business professor Christian Clayton notes that it’s much easier to do the right thing all of the time than it is to do the right thing part of the time. Years ago I heard Bill Hybels make the same point. He noted that when he was first starting in ministry, and someone would say, “I’m so glad I came today, I almost stayed home but your message was aimed exactly at me,” that he would marvel with them at how amazing God is. Now he responds differently. He replies, “What do you mean you almost didn’t come to church? Are you so fickle and foolish that you wake up and then decide if you feel like going to church? No! No! No! This has to be a settled matter. You go to church, every week, period. Full stop.” I am sure Bill would be the first to say, “stay home if you’re sick,” agree that we do not want to fall into legalism about this and thank you if you are a nurse staffing the ER or a lineman trying to restore power after a storm, etc. But here’s the point: ruts can be good things. Decide now that you attend church. Every week. That is who you are and what you do.
Ten: You are Expected at the Dinner Table. Finally, at the risk of undermining points one through nine, let me frame it this way. An adopted son attends the family dinner table with his new brothers and sisters not because it’s good for him, but it is because that’s what he is – a member of the family.