Just read a piece by Garrison Keillor about going to church. One of the reasons he goes is because in the face of declining attendance he doesn’t want to be part of a trend. Parents should teach their kids that there is more to Sunday than video games and that Sunday doesn’t have to be the same as Saturday and Monday. Church is also the place when you can greet your fellow attendees with the peace of the Lord, something which won’t happen in the produce aisle of the supermarket. Then you confess your failures, receive forgiveness and everyone goes to communion together. He goes because for about an hour and a half he gets away from thinking about himself. His mind wanders during the sermon. He uses the time to think about and pray for an assortment of people and problems. (As does mine. I’m usually ‘writing” my own sermon and how I would treat the texts while I listen to someone’s treatment of the text. Though I am getting better of paying attention. If I was smarter, I would know how to copy and paste what Garrison actually said and you wouldn’t have to put up with my synopsis.)
He concludes with the thought that with all the shouting going on in our society during the week it’s well to be told as you are about the to leave the service, “Go in Peace, God Bless you. amen.”
For myself one of the reasons I go to church is that I get to sing some fantastic hymns with both depth of meaning and music. I also like to sing tenor when I can easily do so. though I wonder sometimes whether my boisterous singing bothers those around me. But Becky hasn’t told me to shut up yet, so I’ll just keep enjoying myself. Thanks Lord for the opportunity.