Tomorrow
I will be attending a lecture at Hartford
Seminary titled: Why Go To Church? I intend to take
copious notes since we are into the lean church attending
season. In preparation, I thought of some excuses for
not
going to church and some answers to those excuses.
Every Sunday many of us go to church while others are
sleeping or engaged in other weekend activities. Since
our weekends are limited, the question hangs should we
spend part of it in church? Let's look at some of the
popular reasons for not going and some answers.
Excuse: Church is boring.” It is repetitious, predictable
and a meaningless ritual. I would rather sleep in. I work
hard all week and I deserve it!"
Answer: Church is repetitious but so is life. The days
of
our lives are structured around cycles of work, eating,
family and recreation times. Isn’t our devotion
to God
worth one hour of worship a week?
Excuse: Why bother going to church when all they
want is money!?
Answer: If we choose to get involved in any kind of
group, be it the PTA, Boy Scouts, Lions Club it will cost
us in time and money. It is true that, if we don't get
involved in anything, we will have maximum control of
our
time and money. However, we will miss friendships and
opportunities to be a good influence in the lives of others.
Each of us decides where to spend our time and money.
Each of us will either invest it in some purpose or waste
it
on the pleasures of the moment. Jesus said that there
is
an eternal investment that will not fade, rust or decay
when we do good works
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Excuse:
People who go to church are a bunch of
hypocrites!
Answer: Churchgoers strive to be good for a few hours
on Sunday morning but they are like everyone else the
rest of the week. A common misunderstanding about
church is that it should somehow make us better people.
It is not the action of going to church, but the
encounter with God and others that changes our
lives for the better. Most people who go to church do
not understand this and thus do not seek to have life
changing experiences through worship and church
activities. This is in large part the reason for the
Protestant revolution.
Excuse: Churches impose a bunch of rules and then
make you feel guilty if you don't measure up.
Answer: One of the biggest reasons for the breakdown
of families is the lack of moral standards. Most people
who call themselves Christians cannot even say the Ten
Commandments much less live by them. Without moral
standards, it is easier to do your own thing and not feel
guilty about it. Guilt is part of our conscience and is
an
innocent gift from God to help us do good.
It is true that sometimes people and institutions can
make
us feel guilty. During these times it is important to
seek
God's view through prayer and biblical reflection. This
means it is necessary to be familiar with the Bible enough
to discern whether others are making us feel guilty or
if
God is trying to get our attention. I am convinced that
there are many Christians who are doing good works out
of guilt rather than because they want to love and serve
God.
These are just a few excuses that pop up from time to
time. Suffice it to say, there is no substitute for worship.
For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear…
No
doubt you will hear more about this in the near future.
Peace be with you,
Rev. Mark
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