I spent my childhood and teenage years going to church every Sunday. When I became an adult, I happily continued going to church. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts in this series, I was a devout Catholic until I was forty-three-years old. I go into greater detail in earlier posts about why I left, but essentially it was a combination of theological differences and feeling I had to take my family to a church where we stood a better chance at gaining our eternal entry into heaven. I’ve since discovered I didn’t have to leave the Catholic Church to gain entry. I merely had to better understand that God grace isn’t contingent on my ability to be good, but on my heart’s commitment to want to follow him.
In the same post where I talk about why I left the Catholic Church I also talk about why I came back. When I first came back to the Catholic Church back in 2019 it was intended to be an interim stage as I wrestled with where I should be going to church next. I have always loved the Catholic Mass and thought I’d hang out there for a while until I gained more clarity.
At the core of my decision was a deep held belief that following Jesus is best done in community. Sure, one can do a lot of study, meditation, and personal spiritual growth on their own, but ultimately, we’re called to be part of a church community.
When I first relaunched this blog in 2015, I made the decision not to make this a blog just for Christians. Prior to 2015 my intended audience was Christians. Because of the new broader focus, I decided not to use Christianese or make Biblical references or quotes. Not because I’m ashamed of doing so, but because I know non-Christians get turned off by them, therefore, won’t read what I have to write.
To me having spiritual conversations is important. So, in the spirit of hoping non-Christians will continue reading this post, I won’t go into the Biblical verses and teachings of Christianity that brought me to a place where I believe following God in community is what God hopes for us.
By the way, as I mention in my “About” section of my blog page, everything is spiritual. Everything.
All that being said, in 2019, when I returned to the Catholic Church it was because I wanted to put myself in the midst of a church community, one that I was familiar with. I needed some time and space to process my struggle with organized religion at the time, but I still wanted to do it in community.
I don’t believe my thoughts about searching for God in community is unique to religion. As humans we’re wired for community. Sure, there are some individuals where that might not always work, and there are definitely moments where being alone is beneficial, but overall, we need other human beings around. We need to interact. We need to love others, be loved, and lead meaningful lives as part of a community greater that just ourselves.
So, does going to church matter. For me, absolutely. I find being gathered on a Sunday, or any other day, with fellow like-minded people makes the journey easier. I find being an advocate for those living on the margins is better done in community. My choice to be a follower of that guy from Nazareth is best done with others; others that can encourage and enlighten me, others that I can encourage and journey with.
Often when we choose to go on a spiritual journey on our own it can be frustrating. Traveling with others and sharing life allows us to be exposed to more of the beautiful things that relationships have to offer, and to take advantage of the wisdom and experience of others.
We don’t have to go to church every single week. But being part of a church community is important if we want to do all we can to grow spiritually. It’s definitely not the only thing that leads to spiritual growth, but it’s essential.
If you’re on a spiritual journey trying to learn about God, I encourage you to connect with a church community.
Going to church matters.
May your journey be filled with peace and love.
Photo: The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul group from my church, St Catherine of Siena in Hamilton.
Read more blog posts from my One’s Skeptic’s Thoughts about God Series.