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Pastor’s Corner: Why bother with church?

By Staff | Sep 16, 2016

A colleague of mine was talking with me recently about the unique opportunity available to pastors. We can sit in a quiet sanctuary anytime. My colleague shared with me that he’s known to tell his church secretary, “If you need me, you’ll find me sitting in the sanctuary. I’m wasting time with God.” I love it. What a beautiful idea this is; making time for God, sitting quietly and being present with God. It’s not a waste of time of course. It’s a renewing time; as critical to life as drinking water, or sleeping. Yet sometimes we act as if we can short change ourselves of this without consequences.

My body, my mind, and my spirit need me to ‘be still’ and waste time with God. I suspect you might benefit from this too. We have numerous wonderful churches available in our community. God calls us to draw near, to worship, pray and find community, where our faith can grow in action.

I’ll share with you that my favorite time in worship is not the sermon, or the children’s sermon, or the hymns, or even the sacraments of communion or baptism. Although I love these all. My favorite time in worship is when we are all silent; sitting, breathing together, side by side in pews filled with amazing people, all wasting time together with God. In that moment we offer our silent prayers of confession and experience grace quietly falling upon us in God’s awesome church.

In the season of fall our lives often ramp up with lots of activity and schedules but I hope somewhere in there you are putting God first, or at least high up there on your to-do list. I bother with church, and I know many others do too, because at church we can uniquely waste time with God together. It’s the best time all week!

Sveet is a pastor at First Lutheran Church in Rugby and Leeds Lutheran.