Recently, I’ve been thinking about why attending church worship services matters so much to me. It didn’t always. In fact, there was a time when I didn’t want to go to church at all.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I spent many years without God. Though I was saved when I was twelve and believe the Holy Spirit was with me, I didn’t attend church, and I didn’t know other believers. So, I went the way of the world, squelching the Holy Spirit within me.

When Christians in my life attempted to get me to come to church, I’d feel a tug, but I’d stuff it down and say I felt closer to God floating on the ocean waves than in a building with people judging me.

Occasionally, throughout my young adult life, I’d get a nagging sensation that I needed to find a church. I’d try one out here or there, but inevitably I’d get a sense of condemnation from overly strict ones where women all wore dresses, or a creepy sensation would send my skin crawling at the churches where people laid hands on one another and danced in the aisles. And I had a gazillion other reasons to leave those that fell between the extremes.

When I finally returned to Christ, devoting myself and all I did to God in earnest, my brother ‘happened’ to catch me and told me he was attending a new church. I told him I was going with him that Sunday.

The moment I sat in the Sanctuary, I knew God was there. I felt His presence. I’m not an overly emotional person, but I don’t think I was able to get through an entire service without being moved to tears for a few months. And from that day, I commuted to meet with God in the sanctuary each week. The trip was an hour and a half one way. Three hours round trip. And I never missed a week. For almost a year. Then, I got remarried and we bought a house twenty-five minutes a way.

Our pastor married us on a Saturday. He joked, “so am I going to see you in church tomorrow?” And we replied with a resounding yes! Neither one of us was about to miss church. And we didn’t.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt God’s presence in that sanctuary. How often He has given me instruction and how blessed my life became each time I followed His wisdom.

I now realize how wrong I was. I may have honestly felt closer to God on the ocean, but that’s most likely because I wasn’t close to Him at all. I wasn’t trying to obey, seek His will, or have a relationship with Him at all.

If there’s no other reason to attend worship service, do it because God tells us to.

God calls believers to gather together

The church is not a building. It’s a body of believers. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Collectively, we are the church and God wants us to gather together.

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:25

God calls us to gather for teaching

God calls our leaders to read scriptures to us, encourage us, and teach us.

“Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.” – 1 Timothy 4:13

God calls us to sing praises to Him

Worship service is a time to gather together to sing.

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” – Ephesians 5:18-19

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” – Colossians 3:16

If you feel like doing some research, there are some interesting studies showing the health benefits of singing, particularly among choir members. That’s not the purpose of this post, but I find it interesting that something God commands us to do is good for our health. Obedience to Him, in all things, is always for our benefit.

There are other ways in which we do, and should, gather together for the purposes of teaching and/or praising God. But Sunday Morning Worship Services are our weekly time to ensure we’re obeying all three: gathering together, reading scripture, and singing praises. Hopefully, these extend into the week into our homes, our cars–whenever and wherever we’re able. But if not or if our week gets away from us, Sunday morning is a good time to reset and try again.

If you don’t know the value of attending church services, if you haven’t ‘felt’ God’s presence, pray about it. Then go. If that church isn’t right for some reason, go to another and keep praying. Don’t give up. Keep obeying. God will honor your obedience, persistence, and heartfelt prayer.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8

You are loved,

J F Rogers