“Why are we going to church?”

We were all dressed and ready, in the car and on our way.  When Grande asked, “why are we going to church?”  I’m beginning to get used to these deep questions showing up randomly.  It must be his age, but they seem to come out of his mouth when I am least prepared to answer them.  So I came up with a quick answer that I assumed wouldn’t be responded to with the ever-present “why?”

“Because it’s Sunday,” I said.  This satisfied Grande’s curiosity, but also got a chuckle from my husband.  He glanced over at me and said, “Wow, that was an ultra-religious answer.”

He was joking with me, but he was right.  And it made me think.  What if the reason we went to church was because it was Sunday?  There would be no point to going at all.  So why do we go?  And how can I teach my children the real reason we are at church every Sunday and Thursday evening?

Before I can teach my children I have to know the answer myself.  We go to worship.  Because that’s what we were created for.  We go to listen and to learn.  Because faith comes through hearing the Word of God.  We go to minister and to be ministered to.  Because each one of us has a place in the body of Christ.

We go seeking this:

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other.  None of this going off and doing your own thing.  And cultivate thankfulness.  Let the Word of Christ-the Message-have the run of the house.  Give it plenty of room in your lives.  Instruct and direct one another using good common sense.  And sing, sing your hearts out to God!  Let every detail in your lives-words, actions, whatever-be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Colossians 3:15-17

To be in tune with each other, encouraging each other, growing together, cheering each other on.  Because that is His plan for His people.  And we want . . . no, we need to be a part of it.

That will be my answer next time.

But my hope is that my boys will learn what our reasons for going to church are without my having to tell them.  I pray that they see it in our actions and our attitudes long before they hear it in our words.