Why I Still Go to Church

I go to congregations to hear what God has been up to in the last few days...

I go to congregations to sing the old hymns I grew up with...

I go to congregations so I can get some communal silence to pray with others...

I go to congregations so I can be with friends and meet new people...

I go to congregations because I am fascinated to observe how they work internally... (This one is pretty much what a professor of "Congregational Mission and Leadership" does.)



I DON"T go to congregations to hear what the preacher has been up to the last few days...

I DON"T go to congregations to be entertained...

I DON"T go to congregations to hear how bad I am...(tell me something I don't know!)

I DON"T go to congregations to hear how many cool things Jesus did while he was alive...(bully for him! You go Son of God!)

I DON"T go to congregations because I "want" to...(notice the list above, that's not necessarily the most fun stuff I do in a week.)

So what's your list look like? Why do you go to church/congregations/worship? Why do you NOT go?

I'm going to say that if your answers involve the words: "boring," "irrelevant," and "stupid" for not going; and include the words "inspiring," "learning," or "exciting" for why you do go that you go or not mostly for yourself. That's ok, but that is not why God creates congregations. Please remember one thing about God's congregations: they are not for you, they are for us.

May your tables be full and your conversations be true.