If You Need a Reason

In 1917, Teddy Roosevelt wrote in Ladies Home Journal on his reasons to go to church.  He lists ten practical benefits to going to church each Sunday.  One of them is this...

Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator and dedicate oneself to good living in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in one’s own house, just as well as in church. But I also know as a matter of cold fact the average man does not thus worship or thus dedicate himself. If he stays away from church he does not spend his time in good works or in lofty meditation. He looks over the colored supplement of the newspaper.

I think this is a valid point.  God is everywhere.  He CAN be worshiped anywhere, but how many people DO worship him everywhere?  

At a craft show once a booth had several handy products made out of every day items.  I found myself thinking why would I buy that, I could make it easy enough.  Then I saw a sign hanging up that said, "Yes, you could make it, but will you?" 

Worshiping God is like that.  We can do it anywhere, but will we?  Going to church sets an environment that is predisposed for worship.  The stage is set, music plays, prayers are said, scripture is read, all you need to do is engage.

God wants a relationship with us.  Building that relationship takes time and attention and while church attendance alone provides neither salvation nor a relationship, it is a good start.

One last thought from Teddy Roosevelt on going to church.

The man who does not in some way, active or not, connect himself with some active, working church misses many opportunities for helping his neighbors, and therefore, incidentally, for helping himself.