Church buildings will be packed this weekend as people gather to celebrate Easter. Want to know something? This makes me mad. Sounds strange, right? Well, it's true. Why aren't these buildings packed every single week? I believe there's a shift in thinking going on right now and it appears that younger generations are seeing less of a need to "go" to church. I totally get this way of thinking, I do. Church isn't a place you "go" it's something you "do." Essentially, YOU are the body of Christ and your actions show others His love.
Let me give you an example. Our new church home has small groups that meet in people's homes once a week or so. The idea behind small groups is to grow deeper relationships with those you worship alongside every week. We've only attended small group once, 2 weeks ago. We were planning to attend last night's gathering but earlier in the day one of our HUGE trees came crashing down and was leaning on our house. It was the craziest thing...no storm, nothing...just a tree snapping in half in the middle of the day for no apparent reason.
Anyway, John and I got busy chopping it and trying to remove as much as possible. He sent a text to the couple hosting small group that night and told them we'd have to miss since we had to get the tree off our house.
Next thing you know, 4 people, whom we've only met once, were in our driveway chopping and lugging around tree branches! They had canceled small group and headed over to help the second they knew we were in need. We were blown away by their actions and so appreciative.
I told Reed, "Quick, get outside...I want you to see church in action." These men were "doing" church. Their selfless, Christ-like actions were exemplifying the call to love others the way God loves us.
So, it may seem like I'm validating the way of thinking that leans towards not "attending" church but actually I'm not. You see, if our family hadn't chosen to walk through the doors of that building and suffered through the weeks of being new and not knowing anyone, we wouldn't have received the blessing that was bestowed on us yesterday. We would have been left to carry the burden of removing that tree by ourselves. There is something to be said about surrounding yourself with a community of like-minded believers. You "go" to church to build that community, then you use those relationships to go forth and "do" church.
If you're one of those people that typically only attends church on Easter and Christmas weekends, I'd like to challenge you to open your heart and your mind to walking through those doors on other weekends as well. Allow yourself to be blessed, you deserve it!
8 comments:
How wonderful that you have a church community that would come without being asked to help you when you need it. That is wonderful Dana!
Amen! We wouldn't have the "friend family' we have today had we not stepped through those doors 11 years ago. And of course I wouldn't know you and that would be a sad sad thing!
Wow, you have to be so thankful to have found such a wonderful church to attend and I know that you and your family would be the first to help anyone in a similar situation. What a blessing that it's such a perfect fit! Scary about the tree, yikes!
wow! what an amazing story and testament!
I love that you said that church is something you do....not just go!!
Our family...we DO church. And unfortunately more and more families come to church if they don't have anything else to "do"! Our Church family is wonderful... Praise the Lord for His blessings on your family!
Isn't community great? :) so glad you found an amazing small group and church home! Thank you for your obedience in blogging this. And thankful the tree didn't do any damage! How scary!
Traffic shmaffic. You should always write about what you feel - it's YOUR internet space :)
Amen and amen to everything you said. As a "Mormon", our family is spoiled with the amount of help and service that is given without a second thought. Every time we've moved (even to different states), we just make one phone call, and there are groups of men that we've never met, meeting us to unload our stuff into the new house. It's not until I talk to other people that I am reminded that not everyone has an instant family no matter where they go. Sad.
Not only did "going" to church help you in a very literal way, just think of all the spiritual lessons you will learn from these new friends. What a blessing! No, you certainly don't have to go to church to worship the Lord, but ultimately we were not created to be alone. What's the point of being on this earth at all if we aren't learning and supporting each other?
Easter and Christmas church drives me nuts! I think it's so unfair to the people that actually go on a weekly basis for those special days to be so uncomfortable. And I do mean uncomfortable. The last two Easters we've had several people pass out because the church is so packed and hot. Literally, Mass was interrupted twice one year for the EMT's to come in and take people out on stretchers.
But, I love this post. It's a truly heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing!
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