Every once in a while I get a thought that torments me until I either share it with someone or write it down. These thoughts are usually triggered by something someone else says to me. This week (and many other times) I heard someone say that they didn't go to church on Sunday "because it was the best thing for our family." When people say that, or something along those lines, they tend to follow it up with something like, "We've had a really busy week," or "We just needed some down time," or "We really needed family time." At the risk of being the pot who called the kettle black, I'm going to share my opinion on this.
First, let's make it clear that there are plenty of times when I feel that way. If my kids have sports or activities on Saturday, then Sunday becomes my one day in the week to sleep in. As my kids get older and our whole family gets more involved in activities, we find ourselves running from one thing to the next, with a commitment every night. Honestly, there are two reasons I don't skip church with those things running through my mind: 1) I'm committed to being there and playing on the worship team every Sunday and 2) I have a husband who has a commitment problem. When I say he has a commitment problem, I mean that he commits to something and then sticks with it for life. I mean, really. Church to him is not an obligation, but a desire and commitment. His reliability and faithfulness is one of the reasons I love him.
Second, I want to be sure that you know I'm not perfect in my relationship with God, either. I don't always acknowledge Him in my life. I most definitely do not take the time out to spend with Him like I should. I struggle with consistent time reading the Bible and just being quiet listening. I wonder where my desire is to spend that time with Him more often than I care to admit.
Back to the main subject, here's what bothers me. When I think about church, I think about relationship with God and others. I think it's important because corporate worship is important. Learning from someone else is important. Being a part of a group of community is important. I've heard many people talk about their relationship with God as a relationship with any other person. You have to nurture it, spend time together, communicate, and make it a priority. I've heard it compared to a relationship with a spouse, where if it's neglected, it will die. It's not like you aren't legally married, but you're living two separate lives under the same roof.
If you take that one step further, think about having a busy week at work. You had a different activity to go to with kids that separated you from your spouse every night of the week (some were your nights away, some your spouse's). It comes to Saturday, and you really want to spend quality time with that person. However, there is a party in his or her honor, and that's where your spouse is going to be. There are going to be friends there who think the world of your spouse. There are going to be people who you maybe don't know, but your spouse does. If you don't go, you're missing out on celebrating your significant other, seeing another side that you wouldn't normally get to see. If you add kids into that equation, why wouldn't you want your kids to see the way that your spouse has an impact on so many others? Yes, it's not easy to get up and get ready, and your bed is so comforting. However, what you're missing out on is so much greater.
What about God as our Father? As a parent, when my kids get off track or out of focus, I try to re-direct them. That doesn't happen by putting them in more activities or sending them to friends' houses. That happens by bringing them home. We're God's children, and one important way to re-focus our lives on Him is to go back to His house and His family. Speaking of kids, I want my kids to see that church is part of who we are as a family. Yes, we're tired, and yes, we over-committed in this season. However, the first thing we take out is not church or spending time with others who can encourage and lift us up. Modeling is a major part of parenting. From God to us and us to our kids.
The best way to sum it up for me is that it reminds me of my desire for what it was like in the early church as told in Acts 2:42a
"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship..."
