In this series, we’re examining if a personshould attend Church. The results from the survey I sent out recently resoundingly said, “Yes.” However, from our brief analysis last week, we saw that many (~35 million so-called American Evangelical Protestants) still do not attend Church on a regular basis.
There’s a disconnect. Somewhere, there’s a sort of gap between what we think and what we do. Obviously, it’s questionable to analyze a cursory survey (from me) in juxtaposition with a national survey (from Pew Research Center), but it’s generally compelling enough to at least consider the possibility that Evangelical Protestant’s professions are often stronger than their practices.
Assuming this could be the case…why might it be the case?
Enter this section of our series examining whether or not a person should attend Church.
To start, here are some general reasons why many (who intend to) might not attend Church:
- Sickness or physically incapacitated for whatever reason
- Tired and in need of Sunday morning rest and relaxation
- Children’s sports activities
- Travel to see friends, family, or vacation
- Work-related
- Not happy with the speaker or preacher for a particular service
- Not happy with the series being preached
- Not happy with who they might see at Church
Whether or not some or all of these are legitimate reasons not to attend Church (and certainly if someone is physically unable to come that’s a different story) is another conversation for another day. There are times of travel, sports, etc., but what cuts through all of that in order to raise the priority level of Church attendance?
In other words, at what point does a follower of Christ make being at Church on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, a priority above all other priorities (unless one is physically unable to attend)?
There are many directions we could take for this answer, but four reasons come to mind: (1) they have a place to belong, (2) they have a cause to die for, (3) they have a community that holds them accountable, and (4) they are investing their particular spiritual gifting into the members of the Church.
What does it mean to BELONG at Church?
- To belong means: to be accepted, to be welcome, to come along with, to fit (as in a mosaic sense). In other words, to have a seat at the table, to be missed if you’re gone, and to add a dimension that otherwise wouldn’t be there if you were not there.
- To belong means to be vulnerable…which means to trust…which means to love: “To love [To belong] at all is to be vulnerable. Love [Belong to] anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to [belong to] no one [or Church], not even an animal. Wrap it [what you belong to] carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love [To belong] is to be vulnerable.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves [with my additions] - To belong means to be broken, yet whole: Because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, the follower of Christ has the potential to possess a new identity of wholeness and health. Sin has broken every human. On the other hand, grace can make any broken human whole. And, this wholeness is not attained to, purchased, or infused. It is received in faith. Thus, to belong at Church means to be broken, yet whole at the foot of the cross looking across and around at every other broken person from every other nation, tribe, and tongue who have looked to Christ in faith.
To belong is to be loved. To be loved is to be broken. That’s why we need a benevolent Father…who sends a self-sacrificing Son…who sends a life giving Spirit.
Glory, the Holy Trinity has made a way for humans to belong–to each other and to belong to Him in a Church–celebrating His life, love, and sacrifice together each week, on His day–the Lord’s day.
There’s a seat at the table…ready for you…because–by grace through faith–you belong.
— March 29, 2019