when God calls you to stop going to church

"The devil sure is trying to keep you out of church" were some of the first words a dear friend spoke to me a few weeks ago. Travel, sickness, commitments and changes in my life had kept me from seeing her every Sunday morning at Sunday School. I had made it to Wednesday night service for the first time in a long time and when she saw me she came up and gave me a "big ole" hug and asked me where I've been. She's missed me.

Part of my explaination included that I have been helping with camp team training on Wednesday night. That's when she told me the devil was trying hard to keep me out of church. I have thought about that statement for a period of time almost every day since she spoke it. 

I think God has had His hand at work in my life, over the years sometimes keeping me from going to church because He knows how easy it would have been for me to let that be enough.

Sunday School-check

Morning worship-check

Sunday Night-check

Wednesday night-check

Special events-check

Teaching a class or sharing at special events-bonus points

I am good

I repeat, I think God has been the One to keep me from going to church at times. 

Before you yell "BLASPHEMER!" and question whether or not we should continue to be friends, let me explain what I mean.

I used to be an every Sunday School, Sunday Morning, Sunday Evening and Wednesday Evening church goer. Add a special event and I was there, no questions asked. I have taught every age, either in Sunday School, Youth Group or small group for extended periods of time. Two exceptions: I have not taught infants, though I have worked the nursery and one week of VBS with Middle Schoolers was enough to remove any desire to teach them on a regular basis. Special people are called to Middle School ministry! 

I thought back over the years and recalled how I went from that to where I am now, a Sunday School and Sunday Morning church attender. 

When we first came to KCC we had D-Group in our home. Every Sunday evening a group of students, anywhere from 20-30, sometimes a few more, would come to our home for a meal and a devotion. Eventually I stopped going to Sunday evening services so I could properly prepare for that. When our girls went to high school they began a Bible Study in our home. Sometimes they met Sunday evenings, sometimes Wednesday evenings. Sometimes Thursday evenings. I fully trust my girls. But I did not know all of the kids that were coming to the house and I am not sure they knew all of them either! I am cautious and wise enough to not be comfortable with leaving a group of high schoolers unsupervised in my home so I stayed home with them. Some of the kids who came over would never darken the door of a church building but they would randomly show up at our house. Bill went go to church, I stayed home "just in case". That arrangement worked well for us. 

A few years into our new routine someone approached Bill and questioned him about my faith. Their questions were not asked in a kind, concerned way, judgement had been passed, based on my attendance. Well, more accurately, my lack of attendance. Bill defended me, but he should not have had to. When he came home from church that Sunday evening and told me what had happened I was flabbergasted. In shock. And angry. The person who'd brought up the issue had no idea of what I was doing with my time. And, truth be told, I am not sure it would have made a difference to them if they had known. How do you adequately explain to someone who bases your level of faith on the number of times you attend services?

Bill was a peacemaker, natural born. Since I was at home I do not know what he said to the person who approached him. I think that was God ordained as well because I am, admittedly on the other end of the spectrum, more of a natural born rebel. But I love the Lord, fiercely, and it hurt to have my faith questioned because I was not at church three times a week. 

I was a bit feisty with Bill when I recounted what I was doing with my time. True, I was not filling a pew, but I was busy sharing my faith. Chaperoning High School Bible Studies in my home. Attending KCU Chapel twice a week. Leading small group Bible Study, sometimes at church, sometimes in my home. Visiting with students throughout the week. Cleaning house for an invalid. Doing yard work for a shut in. Travelling to Round Lake Christian Camp to teach the second week of July every year. Speaking at Ladies events. Preparing to teach and speak. Caring for my family and their friends. I was fired up. I remember telling Bill, "They have no idea of what I do. What are they doing for the Lord? When they can talk to me about what they are doing, they will have the right to be concerned about my walk with Him. And if they have a problem with me, they should have come to me, not you. How often you sit in a pew is not a good measure of faith." 

I still believe that.

I think God broke the chains of my attending church so I could get busy "being" the church. 

I am not saying we should not gather together with other believers. The Scriptures clearly tell us in Hebrews 10:24-25 "...let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." 

We are supposed to meet together. But I don't see anywhere in these verses that our meeting together is supposed to only be in a designated building.

In other words, not my own :

"A candle makes more impact in darkness than it does in a well lit room."

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger."

"Salt doesn't do any good if it never leaves the saltshaker."

So go and meet with other believers. But don't buy the lie that attendance is an accurate measure of faith. Gather together, encourage one another, then go out and share your faith. Quit being satisfied with going to a building. Stop going to church. Start being the church. Every single day.