Why We Gather

We have a choice when we claim the Christian faith about how to live it out. How will we allow the teachings of Jesus to permeate our day-to-day lives? How will we embrace the symbolism and tradition? How will we educate ourselves to better understand the religion that informed Jesus and the lessons he espouses to his disciples and the crowds that gathered to hear his messages? What choices will we make when looking deep within ourselves and identifying that we are Christian?

In addition to all of the how’s - how we will live, how we will speak, how we will claim - there are also the why’s. Why do we claim Christianity? Why do we follow the teachings of a carpenter’s son who upset the powers of both the church and state leading to his public torture and execution? Why do we pray or sing or participate in communion? On some level if you don’t have answers for your why’s, the how’s don’t really matter so much.

Why do we gather for worship? I honestly struggle with this question personally, and I have for most of my life. There are so many values and activities vying for our time and energy, and many of these values and activities are rich and valuable. I enjoy Sunday mornings with my family. The stress of the previous week has finally been shed, and the anticipation of the new week hasn’t quite built up yet. The sun seems to shine in the kitchen a bit more warmly on Sunday mornings, and the idea of curling up with a book and my children nurtures my values around family, reading, relaxation, and cooking with love.

Choosing to pour ourselves into our car for worship is a choice prioritizing a value of faith above those other values. This is a personal choice, and, again, my wife and I wrestle with regularly. But, at this point in time, we choose worship and Sunday school.

Why do you? Why do you and your family choose what you choose? There are no right or wrong answers; good and bad are not descriptions for your answer regardless of what it is. However, having an answer is a valuable resource.

One of the reasons why I value worship and Sunday school is because it is an act of calibration for me and my family. It’s a reset. When I walk into a store or a mall, when I look at the internet on my phone or computer, when I turn on the television or radio I have so many interests working hard for my attention. The messaging tells me about what I should buy and how I should dress and what I should think and who I should vote for and where to spend my money and even what I should do with my Sunday mornings. The messaging bombards me and can confuse me when I’m tired or have low blood sugar or simply am not at 110%.

Gathering with my family in the pew with me on Sunday morning and then each of us heading to Sunday school is an intentional act of influencing the messaging. It breaks away from the idolatry of capitalism and the noise of media and reminds each of us why we claim Christianity in our family. We claim to be followers, learners, exhorters of the messages of Jesus Christ because we believe him when he said, “Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad. Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth. Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full. Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy. Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God. Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children. Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me.”

Jesus was counter-cultural, and being a Christian today is counter-cultural. Sunday morning is a chance to recalibrate to the messages of Jesus instead of all of the messaging smothering each of us in our own walks of life at home, at work, at school, and all of our down time. Sunday morning is a chance to learn more about myself and about Jesus. Sunday morning is a chance to sit in the silence, to be in community with people I might otherwise not come in contact with, to break bread and drink juice, to offer prayer beyond my own personal concerns, and a chance to sing praise.

Singing praise to a God always loving, continually inviting, and patiently lettings us navigate why we are gathered for worship and education and fellowship and whatever the Holy Spirit stirs on a given Sunday morning.

This Sunday we are celebrating our new hymnal, Worship & Song, and lifting our voices high as we calibrate ourselves to the lessons of Jesus Christ.

If you made it this far, congratulations. You’ve won a sermon-free Sunday worship service. Consider yourself fully sermonated for the week. Come fully hydrated Sunday morning as you’re bringing the message.

Peace,
Rev Elizabeth