Why I Go To Church Services

Just as you once did, I also went to school and sat in classes, nearly 20 years in fact not counting military classes and other job training.

So why would I go to church services on the Sabbath and sit again for the better part of three hours?

I think it is because I think that in many respects it is "the better part" of my week.

I find it a time I can contemplate my personal relationship to God.

I can weigh whether or not I am progressing in gaining a better understanding of life, or service, of devotion to something higher than myself, and my progress as a member of my family.

You might want to suggest that I can do all those things on my own by taking a hike in the nearby mountains, or along the shore of the nearby lake, even by quietly contemplating such questions in my study or living room as I often do.

I could sit at home and even sing hymns, donate to the USO or some other charities that do meaningful good in my society and abroad, as I also do.

That's true. I could, but I also choose to attend structured services and classes where lessons are taught, tithes are offered, and thoughts are exchanged on a day devoted to worship and contemplation.

Doing so doesn't make me any better than the person who seeks a meaningful understanding of life, and God, and service to others. But somehow I feel that doing so has the potential to help me become a better me. To me that is important enough to sit, and listen, and discuss things I have found to be important in my life.

In the process I meet with other men, women, and children who share some of those same feelings about the Sabbath.

We meet in fellowship and devotion, believing as I do that where two or more of us are gathered together Jesus Christ will somehow be there also to lift our spirits, urge us on, and lead the way with truth and light.

Prayer does wonderful things for me, and church is one place where I devote time to prayer and hymns of praise and supplication along with others who come for many of the same reasons that I come for.

There is a simple answer for why I go to church on the Sabbath: it feels right to me.

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© 2017 Demas W. Jasper All rights reserved.