Why Go to Church?

The January edition of the Chaplain's Corner
by Pastor Dave, SCYL Chaplain

Why go to church? I thought I’d share a few lines about what is in it for you to go to church. First of all, God is everywhere—in church and outside church. You can talk with God in prayer anywhere. You can see God anywhere—perhaps in a sunset or sunrise; perhaps in nature; perhaps in the faces of people around you. But do you make time to think about God? Is God a part of your life? That’s one good reason for church. It is a special time set aside for God. It is a special place set aside for God. When you enter a church, all the memories of times you found God come back. It is a time and place in the schedule of your life when God is put first. Church is also a holy community. When you go to church, you surround yourself with other people who are putting God in the first place. We need the support of other people. We pick friends who love us and whom we love. And it is good to love and be loved. Church is like that. It is a loving community where others seek God as you do. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20). Then there is the church service itself. You hear God’s Word in the Bible reading. And you hear about God in the sermon. Hopefully, in a church service you will learn about God, think about God, and experience God. Consider attending church. But most of all, keep a light in your heart for God, wherever you are.