Who cares if I miss church Sunday?

Sometimes I don’t feel like going to church on Sunday morning… A lot of times, I feel I have something better to do. There are sporting events, vacation opportunities, golf tournaments, brunch appointments, the dang lawn needs to be mowed, it’s a great time to sleep, and I have hobbies that would blossom if I used the extra time for them. Seriously, sometimes I just don’t have time to go ….

All around, I could probably keep naming off things that could occupy my attention that morning.
Here is the dilemma, “What is more important: going to church, or using that time for necessary obligations?” “Should church on Sunday morning be a top priority, is it necessary?” These are incredibly valid questions. There are many real life priorities, obligations, and expectations that influence our view and response to these questions. Before we can personally and honestly answer them though, it is important that we consider and address the role and purpose of Sunday morning church gatherings in our spiritual growth and development.

Here a few views on the purpose of church that I often hear people talking about.
(I recognize that these are not the only views, but these are the ones I feel are important to talk about in this blog).

VIEW 1: Church is a place where I go to get fueled up for the week. The “getting fueled” idea tends to be a flawed expression…here’s why. It insinuates that my whole connection with God is dependant on what I “get” on Sunday. What about personal one-on-one fueling (growth) with Jesus as a continual process? Consider these.

First, What happens if the church building or entity ceases to exist? How are we going to grow if our growth is dependant on going somewhere to grow. Our growth happens with one-on-one relationship, communication, an interaction with Jesus. Although corporate learning is important, our growth can not be dependant on just weekly fill-ups. These systematic, sometimes tragically habitual tank fills, will eventually get boring and non-motivating. The reason this happens, is because it just satisfies for the time being…which in our mind, is 7 days (for some of us Monday is enough to drain us).. It doesn’t build a foundation for growth instead it just provides you with a short burst of motivation. It is very similar to the effect coffee may have on you when you are tired. It doesn’t fix your “lack sleep issue” it just gets you though. ***Second, if our motivation is to get, then our focus is never on other people. How can we help others if all we are only concerned with receiving something from the production? The main goal of The Quest Church is to connect people with God; how can we do this if our main focus is getting?

VIEW 2: Church is where I do my part to personally help others discover who Jesus is and encourage people to make him a priority in their lives because loves and cares about them. Sunday is the place where we continue this relational development with God and people. It is not the only place nor is it the main place. Sunday morning is not about going to develop our spiritual lives it is where we share and celebrate what God is doing “in” our spiritual lives.

If we are able to grasp and recognize that God uses us as a key part in influencing people as they discover God (many for the first time) on Sunday mornings, then the negative impact our Sunday morning absence has on this process, will become extremely vivid. We as individuals connect with different people. You can influence people that I can’t as easily and some people identify with me better than you. This is a good thing because together we can influence lives across many barriers in an effective way. After recognizing these things, the importance of the Sunday morning becomes huge. AND, our involvement and attendance become a "very crucial, if not necessary" aspect. Seriously, someone will identify with you unlike anyone else. If you are not there to connect with them, who will?

Some of the motivating factors for Sunday morning are
-We are here “Not to get but to share” “Not to take but to serve”.
-Although, on Sundays, we will learn, grow, and recognize God’s love for us at church, “my growth ” can not be the central goal. The goal must be God and others.

Back to the questions.
“What is more important: going to church, or using that time for necessary obligations?” “Should church on Sunday morning be a top priority, is it necessary?”

Here are some statements that may help you come up with an answer.
---- Church on Sunday morning will only be important to you if you believe in what God is doing through the church during that time.
---- Your view of the value of Sunday morning is dependant on the picture you have of your role in the spiritual growth of others during the gathering.