This Is Who We Are

 

I read an article the other day entitled, “Parents, Just Go to Church.” I encourage you to look it up and read it, especially if you have kids (you can find it on thegospelcoalition.org). Since reading it though, I have been thinking that besides the Holy Spirit’s work in my life, I think the greatest reason you will find me consistently in church is due to my parents. I am profoundly grateful for the example they set. From my earliest memories, we were involved in church – Sunday School, the main service, Sunday evening service, and the mid-week service. We were at extra church functions, business meetings, and prayer meetings. You could argue that we had no other choice; my dad was one of the pastors. But I know better; I know the values of my parents, and even when we were in the States and could have taken a bit of a “break” from the busy church lives we led overseas, my parents got immediately involved, again attending all regular services and extra events, and even served where they could.

My mom taught me how to teach children’s church when I was around pre-teen age. My siblings and I often helped set up chairs for church or tear them back down afterwards, we sometimes helped clean the building between services, and we helped pass out invitations to special events through mail-box campaigns (which is legal in Germany). When I think back on my childhood, church life was a massive part of that. I never perceived it as legalism; I understood that I didn’t go to church to gain favor with God or earn my salvation. Church was just so much a part of our identity that not going would have seemed strange. Our church was our family – truly – with whom we did life with all its messes and joys.

About a year ago, I was listening to a message by Matt Merker, a modern-day hymn writer who is perhaps best known for his song, “He will hold me fast.” He was speaking on the importance of corporate worship, and he made this statement, “We go to church because we ARE the church.” Church is not something we do, or even primarily a place that we go; it is who we are. We are God’s people, Christ’s body, the church (Colossians 1:18). And as His body, as one people, we gather physically for the sake of worshipping God and doing life together. We encourage one another in truth, we walk alongside one another in the joys and sorrows of life, and we serve one another as we have opportunity (Galatians 6:10). We don’t miss the gathering of the believers (Hebrews 10:25) as we grow together in unity and in the knowledge of the Lord (Ephesians 4:11-16).

               As Cameron Cole, author of “Parents, Just Go to Church” points out, attending church is not easy, especially with a family – maybe it’s little ones who are sleepy, teenagers who don’t want to go, or maybe it’s been a really busy week and we just want a relaxing day at home. But he writes, “It’s not optional or a matter of preference, and this is God’s mercy toward us. God knows how badly we need the benefits of meeting together. God doesn’t need our worship. We, on the other hand, desperately need corporate worship to center and order our lives around the Lord.”

               Sisters, is church an integral part of our lives? Moms, do our kids see that we value church, not just for their sakes as we send them to youth group or Awana, but also for our own spiritual growth? Are we involved beyond the mere sitting in the pews during Sunday morning worship? Are we making regular church attendance a priority over other activities such as sports? Oh, sister in the body of Christ, we need you, and you need us. We together are the body. You can contribute things we cannot. This is not about legalism; it is about our identity.

To my parents, I say thank you for teaching me and my siblings this well. My parents were out of town this morning but their influence was felt as my brother served behind the scenes by changing the slides on the screens, my sister assisted in a children’s Sunday School class, and I used what Mom modeled to me through her teaching gifts as I got to lead a class. My parents would say it was all God, and while I agree, I would add that God used them. My prayer is that my three kids would have the same testimony one day.

--Amy O'Rear