Must I Go Unto The House Of The Lord? Series

“I was glad when they said to me,

‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 121:1)

“In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be raised above the hills;

all the nations shall stream to it.

Many peoples shall come and say,

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.’” (Isaiah 2:2-3)

One Sunday a mother shook her son awake, telling him it was time to go to church. No effect. Ten minutes later she was back: ‘Get out of bed immediately and go to church.’ ‘Mother, I don’t want to. It’s so boring? Why should I bother?’ ‘For two reasons: You know you must go to church on a Sunday, and secondly, you are the bishop” [1]

One of the things I have found is that as Christians things can appear obvious to us so we don’t bother explaining them. When I became a Christian when I was thirteen it seemed obvious to me that I should go to church each week. The moment I got home from boarding school, the first Sunday I found a church and went to it. And I have barely missed a single Sunday since them – not because I am particularly virtuous, but just because it seemed obvious to me that that is what a Christian should do.

But it is not obvious to everyone.

It is not obvious to Hindus. Our Hindu brothers and sisters don’t go to Temple each week. If say exams are coming up or there is some big event in there lives – they go to the Temple. If it is a particular god’s feast day – well they find the particular temple to that particular god and go there for that day. (That’s why many Hindus will turn up to churches for midnight mass- even if they don’t recognise the uniqueness of Jesus, they recognise he is “a” god – so turn up to his temple on his feast). So when its something you need help for, or when it’s a god’s particular feast you go to Temple. But every single week?

Even our Muslim friends – where they make a big thing of men going to Mosque every week – its entirely optional for women whether they want to go to Mosque and they are free to pray at home instead if they prefer. While we Christians are very clear that whether you are male or female, adult or child, church is there for you….

Why? Why do we go to church?

Before I unpack that – lets have a bit of a chance for you to unpack that – turn to your neighbour – not someone you came with – and share with them why you got out of bed this morning – and if the answer is simply your mum made you (or your heating wasn’t working at home)- just be honest…

[give them break to discuss this before bringing them back]

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"Hello – this is the Equiry from Buckingham Palace – his Majesty King Charles would like to invite you to a special garden party to celebrate the Kings Birthday."

"That’s very kind of you – but would you mind doing it a week or so earlier. We always meet as a family to celebrate the Kings Birthday. The real meaning of Royal Birthdays is family, don’t you think."

"You do know who’s birthday it is?"

"Well I’m very happy to do something at the Palace to celebrate the Kings birthday – but not the day itself – that’s for family"

Hmmmm...

It’s advent – the lead up to Christmas and the goodnews is that it is a time of year when “Many peoples shall come and say,

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob” (Isaiah 2:3)

The slightly less good news is that people can still treat it like someone getting an invite from King Charles himself – and then trying to rearrange the date. In my previous two parishes we would have a Christingle service at 4pm on Christmas Eve – because even though these large numbers of people had decided they did want to go to church at some point in December, they didn’t want going Church to get in the way of Christmas which seems to be slightly missing the point.

Anyway – lets here what some of you had to say about why you got out of bed this morning.

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[Take feedback from them being in small groups earlier]

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So then lets look at three things