Why Do Christians Go To Church?

One night, a little while back, I dreamed that I had a reputation of being a fifty-one-year-old "church lady". Oh wait, that wasn't a dream... It's true!

Well, in the dream, I was telling some of my friends about my past, how I used to be a rebel. I used to believe in all kinds of debauchery: Premarital sex, drugs, rock n' roll, drinking, etc. And that's another true part of the dream. I was a wild child of the 70's!

In my dream, people were surprised to hear that I'd ever been anything but a sweet lady with rather wholesome, conservative leanings.

When I woke up, I felt the urgency of admitting my "guilt". Yes, I was "guilty" of promoting values that I've since reevaluated. And it took awhile to reevaluate. Even after escaping some radical teen-age years, I maintained a different kind of rebellion as I became a mother in the 80's. Still avoiding God and His "Do it My way" approach, I figured I would do well enough (or maybe even better) if I just did things my way. I sought answers to my problems in the New Age Movement, in Eastern Philosophies, in Nutritional Approaches (to name a few).

When all my efforts at bettering myself proved futile, I finally turned to God. That was some 13 years ago. With a husband, an 8 year-old, and a 12-year-old in tow, we began our life of church-going. And what keeps us going? Well, from my perspective, I've seen how my way didn't work. And as I look at my sons, who never rebelled quite like I did, I see God's hand of blessing upon them. They've grown into the young men God had designed them to be, and we have enjoyed the process.

We go to church because we meet "family" at church. We stay connected; we're a community. We grow as we learn more about Christ, about loving our neighbors, about loving God. If you don't currently go to church, do consider it. It's not a members-only club; our doors are open!