Why Church?

Perhaps you were hurt by people at your Church or have slowly drifted away. But what if the very thing you're looking for - peace, purpose, joy- can be found in the same thing you walked away from?

I walked away from the Church in my late teens because it didn't serve me. I didn't get anything from it. The service was tedious to sit through, and I couldn't connect with anyone who attended the Church, as they seemed to lead these perfect lives; they read the Bible, prayed, and didn't drink or do drugs. It repulsed me because the thought of leading that type of life seemed dull, uninteresting, and extremely stiff. I was the opposite: impulsive, a thrill seeker, and constantly looking for fun, which I did not equate with Church or the people who attended it. 

As I got older, hardships encompassed me; addictions, financial burdens, and marriage problems all came at me. I went into a very dark place, I withdrew from friends and family, and I used drugs and alcohol to help me ignore the glaring reality that my life was not what I wanted it to be. The extracurriculars that I consumed gave me temporary pleasure but never long-lasting joy. I knew if I continued to live how I was living, I could end up divorced, homeless, or dead. 

What brought me back to Church? Despite all my efforts to live the best life I possibly could, trusting in myself, without God, led me to a very dark place. Eventually, I began talking to God but refused to attend Church. There was something about it that made me adverse to it. Looking at it now, I can see that my visceral reaction to going back to Church showed that there was an underlying spiritual warfare happening. Satan was pulling me away and doing his best to keep me from the Church. Why? Because the Church is God's foundation for His present and future plans. 

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25

Why did God create the Church? To gather as a community of believers to love, learn and be with God, to support one another, and to share the Gospel. 

As I have gotten older, now in my early 40s, only through God's grace have I slowly healed from addiction, but more importantly, from my desire to hold on to my own life. I've since been blessed to see that I need Jesus, and the more I read the Bible and pray, the more he has blessed me with the understanding that the Church isn't about me in a selfish way. Church is a gift that was given to us by God. 

He is allowing us to be a part of his eternal plan!

Think about that for a second. God is giving us the opportunity of a lifetime, or an eternal lifetime, to join Him. The Church is the foundation, with Jesus being the cornerstone. 

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Ephesians 2:20-21

I've grappled with living in this current culture and trying to prioritize the Church. I've often failed to attend Church simply because I was tired or I'd rather spend my day shopping or hanging out with my family. Sports and other kids' activities have also stood in the way. 

It’s hard to remember, but not many years ago, no Sunday activities were held. Schools and sports leagues prioritized Sundays as a day of rest. As for shopping, it wasn't until the 1970s that Canada legalized shopping malls to be open on Sundays. Now, Sundays are the busiest shopping day of the week. Slowly, our culture has shifted from prioritizing Church and rest on Sundays, and we feel pressured to conform. Sports have become more competitive, and they are now year-round. It's become almost a religion in itself. Parents become consumed by the sports community, travelling, going to competitions, hosting fundraisers, and taking their kids to practices and games. All this has left very little time for us to join God's vision and be a part of His beautiful plan. 

We are focused on the now rather than having an eternal focus. "We need to see the Church from God's perspective," says Francis Chan in his book Letters to the Church. When we appreciate it according to God's design, we're left in wonder."

I've also seen and heard many people in my generation explain that they don't need to attend Church to be Christians. The Church is filled with hypocrites and people I don't want to be around. I can read the Bible and learn about God on my own. The Bible says we are the Church, the people, not a building. Therefore, I don't need to attend a church. A verse they have quoted is this:

Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

However, this verse emphasizes that we should be unified in God, not individualized, secluded in our study and worship of God. Unity includes gathering together, praying, worshiping God, and learning about Him. Unity is not individualized; the power of the Holy Spirit moves more when we are together than alone. When we gather together, something different happens with the power of the Holy Spirit.

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

Together, we are his house, not separately. We were made to unite and move together with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Therefore, if you want to be a part of God's incredible plan, you may need to adjust your perspective about the Church. It doesn't have to be in a big building, but it does have to be with other believers. It's a privilege and a commitment to work, worship, and serve together. 

God calls us to sacrifice, and the more we sacrifice, the closer to God we will be. 

Are you willing to sacrifice to prioritize the Church? What would you have to sacrifice? Is it your child's sport? Is it grocery shopping? Is it simply resting at home? 

We all have to check our own hearts and ask, "How much does God matter to me? "Am I willing to sacrifice for Him? " 

My heart hurts for our generation because if we stop prioritizing the Church, then what will our kids do when they get older? Our society has gotten it backward. We have consumed too much and pushed ourselves to do too much, with the best intentions, thinking we are giving our kids essential opportunities. But what could be more important than building a solid foundation or community within the Church for us and our children? 

What if we were brave enough to say no to what the world is pushing us to prioritize and trust that God will provide for our children? Will your child be the next NHL star? Maybe, but if you trust God and put Him first, He will ensure they become who they were meant to be without spending Sundays at sports. I've struggled with this because my daughter plays soccer, and they hold girls' games on Sundays. I've tried to juggle our time between attending her games and Church. It's not easy, and it doesn't seem fair that we have to choose. But, if I do have to choose, I'm choosing God. And I will trust that other opportunities will come without sacrificing the Church and God. 

I pray our generation will take a stand and God will reveal the truth to us. I pray you will make Church a priority again and experience a closer relationship with God. I pray the Holy Spirit provides you with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

One last thing: I heard Wesley Huff, an apologist with a Master's in Theology,  say this in an interview in response to those who say hypocrites attend church and, therefore, I don’t want to go. “Humanity is broken. If you find the perfect church, don’t go there; you will mess it up.” Meaning the church is full of broken people. We can’t fix ourselves; that’s why we need Jesus. We think we must get our lives together before Jesus accepts us, and then we can attend church. That is false. We cannot get our lives together; we need Jesus and the Church. We will never be perfect, nor will the people who join us at church. Only through attending church, serving, and thereby growing closer to God will we experience what we long for.