Why I Go to Church (Most of the Time)

Will Braun

Why I Go to Church (Most of the Time)

Posted on: 03/05/2010 17:03

It is tempting these days to say, as many others are saying, “I am spiritual but not religious.” To join this increasingly fashionable group is to be open to spirituality in a broad sense, but to spurn “organized religion” and “the institutional church.”

Let’s face it, church can be hard to take. Many of us have, at times, felt frustrated, disappointed, infuriated, hurt or alienated by circumstances or events in our home congregations or in the broader church. What are we to do with these sentiments?

The temptation for some, including myself, is to gravitate towards a spiritual-but-not-religious stance. This might mean going for a hike or reading a good book instead of going to church on Sunday morning. It might mean yoga instead of small group meetings. It might mean simply drifting bitterly away from church without really replacing it with anything other than a vague spiritual longing.

But, ultimately, I believe the spiritual-but-not-religious path is something of a mirage. It looks good from a distance, when one is fed up with church, but ultimately the expectations it creates prove illusory.

The problem is that this path tends towards an individualization of spirituality, with everyone just doing their own “unorganized” thing. Sure, some activities may be done with others, but the emphasis is on doing whatever is “right for you,” not on commitment to community. Of course, there are exceptions to these generalizations, but I think the generalizations stand.

As appealing as it may seem to follow one’s individualized path, I believe that spirituality is, by nature, a collective endeavour. Meaning and God are found collectively—where two or more are gathered. In some sense, individualized spirituality is not spirituality at all. Of course, there is a deeply personal dimension to spiritual quest and experience, but ultimately it must lead us not away from others but towards them. The complications and conflicts that arise from that coming together are an essential element of spiritual growth.

A spiritual advisor once told me that the act of going to church, aside from what actually happens there, is the most important spiritual discipline. I come back to this counsel often. I think about the value of choosing to spend time with people of various backgrounds, ages and viewpoints. In the intersection of our lives I believe I can find something that I cannot find alone. It’s nothing spectacular, just a (hopefully) humble sense of the wealth of diversity and fellowship. For me, this applies to Sunday morning as well as broader church involvements.

Rather than spurning organized religion, I am trying—with occasional lapses—to embrace it. That is not to deny or downplay the frustrations, but to accept them as a humbling spiritual discipline. The words of Carlo Caretto, an Italian church worker who left all to live as a monk in the Sahara Desert, capture something of my effort to remain spiritual and religious:

“How baffling you are, o Church, and yet how I love you! . . . You have given me so much scandal and yet you have made me understand sanctity. I have seen nothing in the world more devoted to obscurity, more compromised, more false, and I have touched nothing more pure, more generous, more beautiful. . . . No, I cannot free myself from you, because I am you, although not completely. And where should I go?”

Will Braun attends Hope Mennonite Church, Winnipeg. He is former edtior of Geez Magazine. Will can be reached at wbraun@inbox.com.

This article was originally published on Canadian Mennonite (http://www.canadianmennonite.org/vol13-2009/13-20/viewpoints.php#nov)

Comments

Motheroffive

Posted on: 03/11/2010 01:19

As someone who's attendance at church over the last few years has been sporadic at best, I must say I am in complete agreement with you, Will. The vision of community and its effect on us, whether in our spiritual journey, or other endeavours, is one that reasonates with me. It moves away from the individualistic view of the world into one that is more difficult and more complex. Yet, that is how we develop and grow and how we reflect the Creator (or love) to each other.

The idea that one must find oneself before engaging in relationship, whether partnered/spousal or in other forms of community is a trap, in my opinion. Yes, it is important to have a balance (over time) in our lives of time for self (contemplation, exercise, meaningful work, etc) versus time with others (partners, children, other family members, friends, etc) however, often our relationships are where we find love and where we can work through who we are. I doubt this explanation is clear but hope that the general gist is understood.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your article.

alicef

Posted on: 03/25/2010 22:30

These days I thoroughly enjoy going to church, and miss it when I'm not there. My congregation feels like family. I love the people around me, old and young, and when someone is away, their absense is palpable. I am so happy to have found my church home.

lostlamb

Posted on: 04/20/2010 12:21

Interesting thoughts. Thank you to all. Im feeling lost and dont know why because I have a great life (family, work life, supports, etc.) but I do believe that its God that is missing from my life. Im searching for meaning and am overwhelmed at times.......:(

kaja

Posted on: 05/26/2010 18:59

Wonderful piece Will. You've spoken words from my own heart; and done it better than I might have. It is indeed fashionable to claim "spirituality" and disclaim "religion". This viewpoint saddens me: it seems to lead to a dead end. But it also excites me. It signals to me that individuals are thinking about God, faith and church.

Reading you're thoughtful words, I'm emboldened in my commitment to faith and church. I do not seek to convert the anti-religious; I simply want to undertand the viewpoint, and to be there for them, one by one, in their quest for meaning, for individuality and for community.

Many thanks,

KaJa, also from Winnipeg

Melchizedek

Posted on: 06/22/2010 22:53

Shows how little you know, or how lazy you are in your research, when you under-define 'religion' and are very selective about 'spiritiuality.' I guess it helps you to feel superior to those who actually understand the fullest meaning of both words.

SRM

Posted on: 06/28/2010 21:15

This was a good point and stuck out to me right away since I consider myself spiritual and not religious. It's so eye opening to think that just the time dedicating to church every sunday (whether or not you enjoy it) is a work of worship and leads to strengthening our obedience to God. Thank you for this, it really reminds me how important dedication to church is. It's scary how this "spiritual" not "religious" outlook on God and the church pulls people away from what really matters- serving others and relationship, and then gravitates themselves to focus on themselves. It makes people become more self involved, leading them to selfishness. The devil is at work in this individuality from the church, thanks again for reminding me! ( i just realized a lot )

Bernie

Posted on: 09/03/2010 01:32

The sense of belonging and community is the thing I miss most. But some of the beliefs get to me, I just don't buy it, specifically the catholic church. I guess I'd feel like a hypocrite going to church, but not believing what we're supposed to according to the doctrine of the church. I recognize the good the church is in today's society, how it provides a structure for families...all good, but I can't bring myself to believe some of what they teach. Like the holy trinity and all that...although facets of a single god are a theme common to a few religions (hindu & buddhism off the top). I don't know.

jamessull

Posted on: 09/23/2010 12:19

Bernie is sincere. He would like the community dimension that churchgoing affords, yet he is not sure about entering into that dimension because he is not sure he "believes" what the community professes. I doubt I could convert him to a profession of the Church's faith in 5 sentences in this blog, and so I will leave him with 2 thoughts.

1) In the earliest days of the Church - while baptizing new converts - the Church Fathers drew up what they called the "syndoche" or creed, an attempt to condense the major truths of the Christian faith. "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only son, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary... ...etc." Now this creed is from the very beginning ...it links us with the primitive Church. Belief in the trinity, the resurrection, the forgiveness of sins are realities that are Stone Age Christianity, not add-ons or departures from the oldtime Gospel. Have confidence in the trinity therefore, it is as old as the Gospels themselves.

2) Keep wanting to develop your faith, know it more deeply. Remember that where you are right now is very possibly an ongoing work. You will change, develop, and grow.