Why come to church?
February 3rd, 2008 » posted by Sarah
“Dear People of God,” begins the invitation to the observance of a holy Lent in the Book of Common Prayer. “I invite you, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent.” (BCP, pps. 264-265)
You’ll note that this is an invitation, not a command. We have, thank goodness, moved beyond the age of mandatory chapel attendance (although, ironically, ‘mandatory’ attendance at various other meetings seems to be on the upswing). So why accept that invitation? Why come to church?
Because there’s no such thing as a solo Christian.
Each of us has a personal relationship with God who, as the psalmist says, created our inmost parts and knit us together in our mothers’ wombs. (Psalm 139, verse 12). When we are baptized, however, we are baptized into the Body of Christ, the household of God. We need one another to become the people God formed us to be. We can’t grow into our full stature as disciples of Jesus Christ on our own.
So this Lent, rather than giving up chocolate or caffeine or whatever else, come to church. There may be days when you don’t feel particularly holy, days when you’re bored, or skeptical, or full of doubts. There may also be days when you feel blessedly close to God, mountaintop days when you are as sure of your faith as of anything in the whole world. There will undoubtedly be plenty of days in between.
But coming together to worship, pray, sing, and partake of Holy Communion together is what makes us who we are. Week in, week out, the rhythm of worship forms us into a community shaped by the Holy Eucharist, a community shaped by love. Our Sunday Eucharists are the very center of our life together.
So this Lent, come and see. I invite you to the observance of a Holy Lent and I look forward to journeying through it together with you.
Your sister in Christ,
Sarah+