When I went to my denominations educational institution were I was required to attend chapel.  I went to school at night so each evening between classes all the prospective preachers would hike down the little hill to First Church.  It was conveniently on the same campus.  It was not an option.  If you did not go it would be noted in your permanent record.  With enough checks you were put on probation and ultimately you would not be allowed to graduate.

The thought of my outward religiosity as some criteria for my spirituality troubles me.  And this concept has plagued me as I finally graduated and became a Pastor.  At every service I would take mental notes as to who was there and who was absent without leave.  Thank God I have overcome this terrible judgmental attitude in my life.

I don’t think God keeps a gradebook and checks every time you or I miss a church service.  The problem is that sometimes the establishment, sometimes called the church, does not quite look at it that way. Church attendance is seen as a mandatory thing.  “You can’t have good and Godly Christians staying away from the gracious open doors of the church.”  Though Christianity purports to operate under the auspices of grace, love and freedom, there seems to be a hint of Torah-caliber parameters to be upheld.

“We can’t have our congregation out during the summer for vacation.”

“The building will fall down and the lights not glow if we let our board members take some family time off.”

Here the institution called the church seems to have taken something so beautiful, so wonderful, so life giving, so filled with awe (Worship) and found a way to grade and monitor people’s performance.

So how exactly do you go to Church? “Because you just have to.”  Some churches even have little cards that every person or family in a pew has to fill in every service just to keep count.

There are two directions of inspection going on.  There is first an assessment of my spirituality. I see the sly glances by the pious attempting to determine if I am holding my head at the right angle, placing the proper envelope in the plate as it goes by, and I standing when I am told to. And if I am not there filling my spot there is a negative assessment of my commitment and spirituality.  If you miss a couple of meetings, you become bombarded with email and notes asking if you are alright.  Secondly this inspection process can well become reciprocal. Church is also where I could well assess the spirituality of my fellow adherents. This is the part I am most concerned with.  I cannot control or change the assessments of others of me.  But I cannot allow myself to fall into the same behavior.

It does not matter if I am the only one in the pew. It does not matter if Harry Holiness is in his place either.  Worship is what I do and it is not for anyone else.  If I am right with God, if I am in the spirit that God would have me in, then it really doesn’t matter whether I am in my pew or on vacation.  Mandatory church like mandatory chapel was in college is a stupid.  God isn’t keeping score.  God does not have a grade book to keep my attendance.  I am saved by grace and not by what I do.

Now don’t get me wrong here.  Worship with a body of like believers is a wonderful thing.  It can pick you up when you don’t feel like it.  It is a place where we can be with people who know more about you than some family members.  But I am not going to Church just to please others.  I am not going to church to meet some grading criteria.

There is no way to guilt me into it; I have given up guilt with the new life in Christ.

What do you think?  Leave a comment.