FIVE REASONS NOT TO GO TO CHURCH:

And five reasons we need the church more than ever.

My last post was about the five things I wish Christians would stop saying. But there’s something else I hear a lot that I didn’t include in that list. Something more and more Christians are saying today, which is some version of this:

“Attending church is an unnecessary aspect of my faith life.”

It’s not that I wish Christians would stop saying that; it’s that I wish it weren’t true. But for many people, it is.

The truth is that church attendance is not relevant for many Christians today.

Covid has a lot to do with that, for sure. We realized work could be accomplished just as easily, if not even more effectively and efficiently, from home. We found creative ways to engage with one another online, making getting out into the world to connect in person less necessary. And this totally applies to church, too.

But, let’s be real. Church attendance has been on a steady decline not only in recent years, but in recent decades. There are lots of reasons for that, but that's a different blog.

To be clear, some people have been deeply hurt by the church and have very good reason to have walked away. Abuse and scandal can be found anywhere and religious organizations are, sadly, no exception.

So, I am not talking about people who have kissed Christianity goodbye entirely, who have left the faith. I am referring specifically to the people who still consider themselves to be Christians - they just simply left the church.

Some people don't go to church because they watch a service online or listen to a podcast. Or maybe they have not found a church home where they feel they fit in yet, that meets all of their spiritual and social needs.

I’ve also heard people say that God can be found anywhere, and so wherever they are at any given moment - that place can be church. A baseball field during your kid’s practice or game is your church. A yoga class is your church. Going on a walk with your dog or your neighbor or just by yourself, that can be church. Meeting friends for brunch is basically church.

If I sound like I am poking fun or being judgmental, I promise I am not. I am serious. I have heard all of the above, spoken by good people in all sincerity. And I wholeheartedly agree that God can be found anywhere at anytime and that God is not confined to four walls of a building. But I disagree that going to church is irrelevant.

Which inspired me to come up with a new list this week: Five reasons to go to church. But, as I started writing, it became more of a list of reasons NOT to go to church. Here's how the list turned out...

1.) To learn how to be a “Christian.”

Because first of all, which Christian would you want to learn to be like?

Ask a dozen people why they are a Christian, and you will get a dozen different answers. Barbara Brown Taylor, in her brilliantly life-changing and faith-saving book Holy Envy, remarked that, “When you have met one Christian, you have met exactly one.” Because Christianity means different things to different people. So, there’s that.

And second, let’s face it. Some Christians are the best argument for NOT being a Christian. When they’re hypocritical, judgmental, or speak hatefully about certain groups of people, is it any wonder Christianity gets a bad rap?

So, if you are going to church to learn the best way to become a Christian, you may be left confused and conflicted and concerned. I am just saying Christians have different views on things and you have to sort through it all for yourself. Which is why I suggest instead of being turned off by the differing views, embrace the variety and complexity. (More on this in point four.)

2.) To be taught what the Bible “Literally” Says.

Some people believe the Bible should be read literally, i.e., a literal seven day creation story, the earth is roughly six thousand years old, a world-wide flood literally happened, etc. And some people think the Bible should be read literarily, i.e., sometimes as metaphor, other times as poetry, and sometimes as historical narrative. Context matters a great deal in this camp.

You can see how these opposing positions have different interpretations of the Bible. Which is what it all comes down to: interpretation. And then you have to ask: whose interpretation? Which version of the Bible?

Depending on your source, there are between sixty and one hundred different translations of the Bible, in English alone. Not to mention the thousands of other languages the Bible has been translated into. No wonder we can’t all agree on what the Bible says - literally, literarily, or otherwise.

3.) To hear about the “One Way” to know God.

Just as there are many interpretations of the Bible, there are many ways to know God, and again - you do not have to go to church to find God. I am not just talking about the different religious traditions. I mean there are different ways to worship and feel and experience the divine.

When I think about the Creator of the Universe, my mind cannot fathom the vastness of God. And if God did create the world and everything in it, in all its diversity and difference, then I cannot believe that God would create only one path to know him. (I say “him” because the scriptures view God as our Heavenly Father, and that is how Jesus knew and addressed God. But, I do not think God is limited to gender or any limited human understanding.)

God is endless. And so, there are endless ways to know God.

4.) To surround myself with “Like-minded Believers.”

In Christian circles, you’ll hear a lot about fellowship and the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded believers. It’s great to have a social network with your church friends. And it’s certainly good to feel a sense of belonging and to be affirmed. Unity is a wonderful thing.

But there’s unity; and then there’s uniformity.

If you’re only surrounded by people who look and think and believe exactly as you do, then the possibly for personal growth is somewhere around zero percent. It’s conforming to the patterns of this world, which Paul warned so strongly against (see Romans 12:2).

A better way to view relationships at church is in what Scot McKnight refers to as “a fellowship of differents” in his book of the same title. McKnight writes that the church, “if it is going to be the church God designed it to be, must become a space for the full story of God’s artistic grace.”

5.) To check “Worship God” off my weekly to do list.

When church begins to feel like an obligation, a chore, something is wrong. While it should not feel like a chore you dread, at the same time, attending church is a spiritual discipline. And disciplines require….wait for it….discipline! They require practice.

I am sitting at my son’s baseball practice right now. If he were to walk up to his coach and say that these drills were becoming an obligation and so he wasn’t feeling into it, tonight would probably be his last practice. Or, imagine telling your spouse that remaining faithfully committed no longer felt necessary to you, or telling your boss that your job is beginning to feel like a chore, so you’re not going to come into the office today. Ridiculous right?

Why is it that we are more committed to showing up every day for our teams and relationships and our jobs than we are to showing up for God?

---

Again, you do not have to go to church to know and worship God. But it’s my firm belief that doing so will strengthen your faith, just as showing up strengthens teams and relationships.

Now, all that said, here are five (short!) reasons I think going to church is relevant and important:

1.) It’s an exercise in faithfulness.

See reason number five NOT to go to church, and flip the script. View it not as a chore or obligation, but as a spiritual discipline. As a practice meant to strengthen and grow your relationship with God. Because in relationships, you show up.

2.) For the community.

Not to be surrounded by like-minded believers, but to be part of that “fellowship of differents.” To go through life not alone, but with people who love and support and care for you.

3.) To serve others.

I have heard a few stories about people who quit attending a church because they weren’t getting anything out of it. And I always want to ask: but what were you putting into it? But, if you go to church for what you can give, rather than receive, that well never runs dry.

4.) To experience personal growth.

I don’t know anyone who has ever said that a life well lived is one spent entirely inside your comfort zone. Organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant says that the single most important driver of success is how often you update your beliefs. How often are you updating your beliefs?

5.) Because Jesus thought it was a pretty big deal.

For Jesus, and the biblical authors, “church” was about the gathering of people, not the building. Further, the early church looked very different from what we know today. It was intimate, made up of small groups of people meeting in homes who shared life together.

Jesus also said the church is the body of Christ. While he is the head, we are his hands and feet. We are meant to go into the world and act and love and serve, as Christ did for us. This means every single life on earth matters, belongs, has a purpose and a function.

To me, the best image of the early church is found in Acts 2. But, here are a few other verses of Scripture that show the functions of the church:

They gathered. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another… - Hebrews 10:25

They prayed.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. - Acts 2:42

They worshipped. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. - Colossians 3:16

They served. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. - Galatians 6:10

They shared life together. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. -1 Corinthians 12:13

Together. That's the whole point. It’s in the gathering and praying together. It’s in the worshipping and serving together. The church is in the sharing of life together.

And finally, Jesus called the church his bride. I can’t think of a better analogy to illustrate the love and devotion and importance Jesus felt for the church, for the people who make up the church.

What would the church look like today if we viewed it like that?

---

Books I mentioned in this blog:

Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor

A Fellowship of Differents by Scot McKnight

I highly recommend:

Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church by Philip Yancey