Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Sunday Morning Sunshine

I'm three for three in the A to Z Challenge. Whoohoo! (Read letter A here and letter B here).

C is for Church

I know there are people reading here today who won't get this one, but I am that person who has always loved church. I was not the teenager who had to be dragged out of bed and forced to attend. As an adult I love it still.

I like the way sitting in church helps me quiet my mind, regain perspective, think about things outside myself. I like the sense of peace it brings. I like specifically setting aside time at the beginning of a new week to take note of what God has done and is doing. I believe God hears us when we pray. I love old hymn lyrics, new praise music, and singing along even though I can't sing.

Few things fill me with more delight than seeing my whole family sitting side by each down a pew row.

I know there are all kinds of problems with all kinds of churches, specifically the imperfect people in them because isn't a church without people just a building? I guess I don't really understand the logic when someone tells me they won't go to church because it's full of hypocrites, liars, and fakes. Isn't church where those people need to be? And by 'those people' I mean me because we all have our junk.

Going to church is less about who I'm sitting next to and more about God meeting me there. Reminding me in the words spoken and the songs sung and the prayers whispered that He's God and I'm not.

I read the results of a recent survey that showed people who attend church regularly are happier than people who don't. They're more likely to vote, are more engaged in their communities outside of the church, and will say they are just happier in general.

Most of us are doing the best we can in a world gone mad, and I personally can't imagine navigating life on planet earth without my faith. It's a challenge in this season to be at church every week. I miss it when I'm not there, and find myself trying to fill in the gaps on my own, which just isn't the same.

I don't think you have to go to church to call yourself a person of faith, but life has a way of testing us on a pretty regular basis, and going to church helps me stay grounded.

7 comments:

  1. You said it all very well! It's for many of the same reasons I enjoy attending church.

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  2. I enjoyed church and the youth groups when I was a teen so I'm with you there. I feel so good that Joe and I have found common ground and a church that fills our needs and fits our beliefs. I agree with all you wrote here!!

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  3. I'm on team church! I definitely miss going to Mass when we are traveling or something prevents us from going. It just starts the week off right when I can begin it praying with the congregation.

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  4. Loved this post! Church and my Christian faith have always played a huge role in my life and most especially since my Dad was a Baptist minister. I always felt special because of that fact and never was ashamed of that fact. I cannot imagine my life without the Lord.

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  5. I can't imagine navigating life without my faith either. I do not attend church regularly but I do talk to God everyday!

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  6. Another well written post Joyce. You're on a roll!

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  7. I know, I know. You wrote this post nearly a month ago. But I'm randomly checking the emails I've missed over my past [extremely busy] month. Besides just reading this one, I HAD to say how much I appreciate and agree with all you've said about how church attendance helps us to be better people.

    Truly, any time we invite the Lord to be in our days, we are benefitting ourselves so much more than we realize.

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