Tell Me Again, Why Do I Go To Church?

It seems to me that we're a very skeptical society. This thought came to the front of my mind this week as I sat in a midweek Bible study at my church. We were discussing the popular book, The Shack, while relating its story of redemption to other facets of the Christian faith. One member of the group commented on a discussion he had with a missionary friend. This missionary friend told him that other cultures tend to see more miracles that we do in America. The missionary told him that the culture he's working in has seen almost every one of Jesus's miracles occur within the people there. They reported blind persons gaining vision, among other miracles.

Astonishing. Can you believe that? If you can't, then I'm glad you're reading this.

It's hard not to be skeptical. We're so used to our comfortable lives here that we probably lack the desperation for God and for healing that is prevalent in those who live in third-world countries. Most of us don't have many huge crises. If we get sick, we just take some medication. If we need food, we just go to the store and buy it. Now there still are instances in our country where we can find that desperation, such as in cases of a terminal illness, but for the most part, it's just not seen here.

So where does that leave us? And tell me again, why do I go to church?

I think we're all hungry for truth and for a purpose to our lives. I guess that's why we go to church. Do we think about that, though, as we sing songs and recite prayers on Sunday mornings? This is why many think religion has lost its relevance. Maybe they're right. We're just not very desperate for God. We've found fulfillment in other creature comforts and going to church tends to be more of a habitual thing, like brushing your teeth or going to the grocery store. My hope is that we can all start viewing church and our journey with God as something more like going to the gym. Just as with exercise, our journey with God is a slow, ongoing process that must be continually practiced in order to reap its rewards.

It's hard to see our need for faith when church seems so monotonous and repetitive. Although, we don't seem to mind repetitive actions when it comes to lifting weights and working out. That's because we know that exercise has to be ongoing and if we keep on the path, our bodies will show the results. It helps me to keep these types of things in mind as I go to church each week. I go to church not to be entertained, but as a life discipline. I need to be reminded that I need God. I need to receive forgiveness and I need to continually learn how to forgive. I hope we all get fed up with doing things our way and develop a hunger to do things differently. We need to be desperate for that.