♥I LOVE CHURCH

There's a clever little group going around Facebook called "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any
more than standing in a garage makes you a car" that I've debated on joining. Because it's true. But, I haven't joined it, because it isn't completely true.

We've all seen them: the ones who are present in each Sunday service with their cleanly pressed collars and beaming children and we shake our heads because the night before we witnessed them shouting in impatience when those children acted like... children. We've seen the loving couple, arms linked, opening their Bibles to the requested scripture verse and we shake our heads because we witnessed their backbitten and stressed marriage. We've seen the animated worshipper whom is so focused upon the songs that he seems to have forgotten the other songs he worshipped the previous night with the lady in red.

So, it's true, going to church does not make one a Christian. But, I would like to argue that without church, one is not a very good Christian. Church is not meant to be a weekly ritual, ending in a six day amnesia. It is meant to equip, strengthen, encourage, teach, bring into accountability and grow Christians. After all, we wouldn't have learned to read or perform complicated math equations without first going to school right?

The Christian who convinces himself that he can be his own pastor, his own worship leader is only depriving himself of who he could really become by going to church! Believe me, I do know how hard it is to find a church that doesn't seem shallow or inept. It's not easy to connect to another ministry when they won't even connect back! Hypocrites seem to congregate and "worship" all over the place, leaving the genuine Christians as a rarity.

The thing is: no one is perfect. We're all people getting on in life with our own baggage, pain and tangled ball of sin. WE NEED CHURCH! The ones who seem to have it all together are just the same as the ones who drag themselves and their screaming toddlers to service every Sunday- deep down they all need to be taught and drawn in by the Holy Spirit and although He can reach us at home, I think He enjoys it when we meet together as a Family. Family time is healthy time, no matter how weird, difficult or stressful it can be.

I could go on and on about how good it is to go to church (and I know it probably seems like I already have) so I'll just do a short little list about why church rocks.

1. Socializing!! True, it shouldn't be the main reason you go, but it's definitely an added bonus!

2. Getting out of the house refines your focus. Church in front of the TV does not count. Too many distractions.

3. The excuse to dress up.

4. It helps you refocus from a rough week or prep for the upcoming week.

5. It provides a good, moral goal or two to work toward throughout the next day or week.

6. The worship! It's my favorite part. FOR EXAMPLE: