Is Church Really Necessary?

When it comes down to it, those of us that spend our first day of the week in a church, the question inevitably has come up at some point or another. If you’re an involved member, then it’s almost mandatory that this question comes up. Church, when it comes down to it, is another activity or involvement in life that takes up time. It may be as little as 1 hour a week or as much as a full-time job. Truly though, what IS the purpose of church and at the end of the day, is it even necessary?

I’m wondering that still and I think the answer has more to do with what the church is doing than anything else. It also depends on your goals in life. As with anything, finding the right church is very important. Simply going to a church because your friends are there, or because your granddaddy helped build it is not really reason enough anymore. A church - for all intents and purposes - is a community of like-minded individuals (or should be). Like-minded doesn’t mean you agree on everything, rather, your outlook on life has a very similar bent. Details not withstanding.

Still, though, the question remains. I suppose church is no more necessary than drinking tea or soda. You could suffice with just water (which, ironically, is probably healthier anyhow). But life is seasoned with the tastes of things we don’t need. Certainly, we should balance our needs and wants lest we become gluttons and consume endlessly. Life, however, is made sweeter through the extras. In many ways, I see church in this same light, which is why I don’t want anything to do with 95% of the churches out there.

Most of the churches around are bent on convincing you that you need them and not vice versa. They have the answers you seek. They have the programs your family needs. They can tell you how to live your life. BLEH. No thanks, Joe.

I’m not in the phase of my life where I need someone carting me around. Nor do I need anyone to tell me what I’m doing wrong or right. God gave me a brain for that and I intend on using it. Mostly.

The remaining 5%, though, may have something to offer that sweetens our lives and though not a necessity to live, they certainly can add flavor to a mundane existence. These few churches aim to help people grow - individually - in their relationships and life. They don’t aim to reshape a person but rather to fully shape them. They don’t aim to control your life as much as they want to be a part of it. You can find life-long friends in these places and experience grace and encouragement. In short, it should be a place you should want to go to. I’ve spent too many years going to churches I dreaded going to. Why? There’s no sense in it.

Is it necessary? To me, no. But, given the right church, it could end up being a sweet flavor that ends up making life a little bit nicer.

This entry was posted on August 7, 2007 at 9:02 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.