Why Go To Church?

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! How many of you are wearing green? Good for you. But - wasn’t it just Christmas a couple of weeks ago? It’s hard to believe that Easter is only two weeks away. I realize that what I’m about to say will betray my age, but don’t you find that every year seems to go by faster and faster? Time flies. And the pace of change seems to accelerate every year as well. Many of you have recently seen changes in your own families and in your own lives. Some good and some not so good. The world around us is changing too, our country and our society are changing, and although we trust in God’s sovereign rule over history, it seems clear that not all of those changes are for the better.

So at times like this, when we’re buffeted by changes, in the world and in our own lives, experiencing changes that are both welcome and unwelcome, it’s good to pause and remind ourselves of some foundational truths, some basic principles. Some things that aren’t changing, and will never change. So that’s what I’d like to do this morning, to look into the Scriptures and draw from them something sure and certain, something that we can depend on, no matter what life manages to throw at us. Sound good?

All right. We’ll begin with a simple question, and it has to do with what we’re doing here this morning. The question is this: “Why go to church?” Now, that may seem like a strange question to ask all of you, since you are already here. You’ve already answered that question for yourself. But if I asked each of you why you decided this morning to get out of bed, to change out of your comfy pajamas and put on pants or a dress, to drive to Bay Lodge and devote an hour of your Sunday morning to this fellowship meeting, instead of doing something else—reading the paper, baking a cake, going for a walk, or maybe just sleeping a little longer—I expect I would get many different answers. For example:

• Maybe what gets you here on Sunday is seeing your friends and catching up on what’s going on their lives. Nothing wrong with that. That’s a very good reason to be here. But you don’t have to come to church to see your friends. You could meet them for coffee, or go for a walk around the neighborhood together. You could join a book club. You could go golfing with your buddies. You could go with your friends to a baseball game. Or just have them over for dinner. The point is that if you want to be around people, there are lots of ways to do it other than being here on Sunday morning.

• The music may be a reason you come to church. You may enjoy the hymns that we sing together. That’s an excellent reason to attend church. But there are other places where you can hear uplifting, inspiring music. I understand there’s someone named Taylor Swift who’s been giving concerts in various places recently. And of course, there’s always Spotify. You can find whatever you want there, even hymns.

• Or, it could be that you value hearing the Bible taught, that you look forward to hearing the Scriptures explained and applied. Another good reason to be here. But on YouTube, and on podcasts, and on television, you can find all kinds of sermons by well-known speakers.

• Or . . . maybe it’s just the coffee and donuts you’re here for. If so, there’s Dunkin.

I could go on, but you get the idea. There are a many good reasons to be here on Sunday morning, many needs that are met when we come together, but a lot of them could be met in other ways. And in fact, when people stop coming to church, or never start attending in the first place, it’s often because they have done just that; they’ve found some other way to meet those needs. Their social needs, their love of music, their desire for education and inspiration, their need for coffee – they have found ways to satisfy those needs elsewhere. They just don’t see a need for church.

In fact, there’s actually a movement called “Sunday Assembly” that tries to do just that; to have all the benefits of a church service without God. Here’s a description from their web site (www.sundayassembly.org/about):

“The best way to understand Sunday Assembly is to experience it for yourself. There will be singalong songs, moving stories, passionate speakers—all finished with tea and cake (or coffee and doughnuts!). Just by being with us you should be energized, vitalized, restored, repaired, refreshed, and recharged. No matter what the subject of the Assembly, it will solace worries, provoke kindness and inject a touch of transcendence into the everyday. But life can be tough… It is. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, we have moments of weakness, or life just isn’t fair. We want every Sunday Assembly to be a place of compassion, where, no matter what your situation, you are welcomed, accepted, and loved. You can join a choir, sing in the band, attend and facilitate self-help groups, welcome those who are socially isolated, host potluck dinners, share hobbies, and much more. Most of all, have fun, be nice and join in.”