Why Church?

After writing my last entry, I thought people might wonder if I thought church was important, seeing as Aunt Sue is a great inspiration to me, but has never had any use for church. So, just to set the record straight, here's a list of why I think church is VERY important and why I can't imagine life without it. I do think people miss out who think they can do without church. Church is made up of very imperfect, hypocritical people, but as my devotional reading this morning said, "The imperfections and frailties of human beings...who preach and teach are not shortcomings to be deplored; they are protection from yet another distraction to worshiping and serving God himself. There was saying in the early church that the best bishop was a bad bishop--that way, there was no danger of substituting him for the living God." (Eugene Peterson)

It's easy for me to write this today, as we just had a great weekend going away with our church to a camp where meals were made for us, dishes done for us, and we had no pressure to get anything done. I, however, had already started this list last week, so it's not just because I have "warm-fuzzies" about my church that I am putting my thoughts down in this blog now.

I really don't know why, but I started to think about things that start with the letter "C" that make church vital for me. They are below in no particular order.

Church is important because:
           - it reminds me that I must have Compassion for people across the street and around the world.
           - it is the body of Christ in flesh, right here, right now
           - this body Cares for me and my family
           - it Centres me, gives me time to focus, to breathe, to reflect
           - it is used by God to Correct me when I'm wrong
           - we have Communion together, remembering the life and sacrifice of our Saviour
           - it gives me Contact and Conversation with others different from myself
           - it is a Community to help raise our children (it takes a village)
           - it Challenges me to live out my Christian faith every day, not just Sunday
           - it provides many instances of Comic release...we laugh at ourselves.
           - and, as my son said as he saw me making this list, ... we get to go to Camp!

And that is my incomplete list. What would you add?