Missing Out

After adopting me at birth, my parents dedicated me to God when I was a toddler. Rosemary, my mom, also taught Sunday School at First Baptist Church in Clearwater. But when she and George later divorced, the church told her she couldn’t teach anymore. I suspect this led to many years of estrangement between her and the church.

In elementary school mom decided to send me to church with her close friends, Frank and Anna. They had 4 kids and I would go with their family to the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. I remember services filled with wonderful organ music, Sunday School classes, and fellowship outside on the shady lawn with little cups of orange juice.

When we moved from that area it wasn’t until about 5th grade that I again began attending church. Mom never attended church with me, she would just drop me off. Later in junior high when she remarried, she and Dave considered themselves C and E Christians, meaning they only attended on Christmas and Easter. As I grew up, I sang in the choir, served as an acolyte and attended youth group. Church was where I found community, acceptance and encouragement.

This past Sunday, after being absent for two months following my accident and shoulder replacement, I returned to church. These days my husband and I attend a non-denominational church called Access. The demographic of the congregation is young and diverse, and we senior citizens are in the minority. Our middle daughter and her family attend the same church, which is a blessing to be with them each Sunday. Sitting in the service participating in music and worship, I thought of people who have no church home, and what they are missing. I considered all I had missed myself these past couple of months. Being back felt good, like wearing a comfortable flannel shirt.

Most people likely had their church attendance habits established when they were children. I made a point to always take my 2 sons to church, and my husband who was a preacher’s kid was in church every time the doors were open. But in today’s society, many don’t include church as part of their lives. Why? Perhaps they have been hurt from past church experiences or decide they are too busy. Or something happens and people get out of the habit of attending, then find it hard to return. Maybe they struggle to find the right congregation where they feel comfortable and accepted.

My hope is that people will come to understand what they are missing, those warm communities church congregations provide. Where new relationships develop, and we encourage one another as we grow spiritually on our faith journey. There is a saying that iron sharpens iron, meaning that as we live life side by side with one another, we figure things out and learn from one another. When tough times come, and they will, our church will be there to come along side to love and support us through the storm.

If you haven’t been in church for a while, or even if you have never attended, I encourage you to give it a try. Make an effort to go for 6 weeks and listen to God speaking through the pastor’s message. Meet and fellowship with new people. After 6 weeks ask yourself if your life isn’t richer from being a part of that community. My guess is that the answer will likely be yes.

Don’t miss out.