The following is a devotion written by author Philip Yancey for The Daily Bread, RBC:
Winston Churchill once said that he related to the church rather like a flying buttress: He supported it from the outside. (A flying buttress is an external support that reinforces the walls of old cathedrals.) I tried that strategy for a while, after coming to believe Christian doctrine sincerely and committing myself to God.
I am not alone. Fewer people attend church on Sunday than claim to follow Christ. Some feel burned by a former experience. Others simply “get nothing out of church.” Why bother?
Today, I could hardly imagine life without church. Church has filled a need for me that can’t be met in any other way. An early-church leader wrote,
“The virtuous soul that is alone . . . is like the burning coal that is alone. It will grow colder rather than hotter.”
Christianity is not a purely intellectual, internal faith. It can be lived only in community. At a deep level, I sense that church contains something I desperately need. Whenever I abandoned church for a time, I found that I was the one who suffered. My faith faded, and the crusty shell of lovelessness grew over me again. I grew colder rather than hotter.
And so, my journeys away from church have always circled back to the church.
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I totally agree with you that our journeys away from church have & should always circle back to the church. Enjoying The Simple Life 🙂
Faith/community is very important to me. With that said I must confess that my churches (Relocated to different areas so have been a part of several churches) have been the places where I have been hurt the most. Whether it’s because you expect more from Christians or you let your guard down more I’m not sure so I do understand why people are reluctant to be a part of a church congregation. Thanks for the opportunity to win & share…Linda
Having a church family is important; I have been through times where I questioned the whole “church” scene; I grew up in a church that pretty much based your value to God by whether you racked up a perfect church attendance record or not, and that extreme approach isn’t right. I did find when I wasn’t attending church regularly I felt like I was drifting. I go to a good church now that encourages you in your walk with God.
My church has offered me so much fellowship and love that I consider all the people like extended family. It is a small church with a Bible driven base. I have learned so much about how to live a God centered life here and have found peace and love. I love my church!