Why Bother with Church?

Episcopal worship service on the beach
If you live in Asbury Park, New Jersey it's not an either or choice between beach and church. You can have your prayer book and sand between your toes too. The New York Times reports,

The altar is a tray for serving breakfast in bed. The pews are large towels or striped beach chairs. And instead of doodling on the program, distracted children can play with a bucket or bury a parent’s feet in the sand. On Saturdays in the summer, Trinity Church, an Episcopal congregation here, celebrates a beach Mass at 6 p.m., attracting up to 75 people...

The full story is online here: Sea, Sand, Sky and an Invitation to Worship.

In the sermon Why Are We Here? I told that our competition is not other churches, unless you are thinking of "Box Springs Baptist, Mattress Methodist, Pillow Presbyterian and my personal favorite, the Church of the Holy Comforter" which are ways to describe sleeping in on Sunday.

Father Steve offers a new video on why we should get out of bed on Sunday morning. It's a really well done look at the reasons not to attend Box Springs Baptist and the like:



In the same sermon referenced above, I said,

Sure, you can be a Christian without going to church. But you can just barely be a Christian, and not very well. I know that sounds harsh, but Christianity is not about loving God alone. Jesus simplified all his teaching to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.” God and neighbor. They go together. And so there is no better way to worship than with your neighbor. We need each other. We need each other to bear one another’s burdens and share one another’s joys. We need each other, because it is so difficult to make any progress on your spiritual journey when you are out there on your own.

If that isn't inspiring enough, there is the religion column The dollar value of attending church or the one Why a non-believer may want a church.

We'll be worshipping tonight at 6:15 p.m. Not convenient? Try Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 8:30 or 10 a.m.

What do you think? Why do you bother to go to church? Or if you don't, why do you skip the experience?

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor