No Thanks to Church

The irony has not escaped you, I'll bet. The president told the world that it is "essential" that churches meet for worship. Many church leaders immediately declared, "No, we don't need to gather at this time."

The coronavirus epidemic has changed our perspective. Because of our deep concern for you, we preachers have told you for years that you need to be in church. Now our love for you says just the opposite: We want you to live a full and blessed life, so at least some of you need to skip church.

What will you do, if your church is not gathering yet? Will you spend more personal time with God? Some clergy I deeply respect claim that if you don't have a yearning to be back in corporate worship, you probably don't yearn for private worship either. That reminds me of times past when those I've urged to attend worship have told me, "I can worship as well out in God's creation." I suspected they worshiped nowhere.

So, when the time comes that we can freely attend church, and all the churches are open, how faithfully will you attend? Will visiting relatives keep you away? Will you find a church to attend when you're on vacation? Have you settled it in your own mind why church is important in bringing you closer to God?

For centuries it has been proven that those who attend congregational worship grow spiritually, and those that never attend do not grow. I can't explain it completely, but I know exceptions are very, very rare. Are you that special?