Why attend church on Sunday?
I can only speak from my own experience.
** 1. The Ten Commandments tell us to keep the Sabbath Day holy.** Because of the resurrection, Christians changed this from the 7th day to the 1st day. Frankly, I don’t think the day chosen makes all that much differences. To begin with, the calendar has changed over the centuries, so that we really don’t know when the original Saturday or Sunday occurred.
** 2. We assemble to hear the scriptures**, offer thanksgiving and praise, pray for forgiveness, listen to a homily usually related to the scriptures, give an offering for the work of Christ, encourage one another in the faith, enjoy singing songs expressing our faith, and share in the sacraments. The two usually conducted during worship are Holy Communion and Baptism.
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**3. The scriptures tells us that where two or three ared gathered together.... **From the outset Christians of all kinds assembled together. As a child, in a rural setting, it was a time to dress up, greet friends and relatives at church, ask how someone's sick son was doing, inquire about Aunt Myrtle, congratulate old Isaiah MacAvoy upon his 90th birthday, learn lessons at Sunday School, anticipate parties, pageants and other special celebrations, etc. The social aspect of worship should never be denigrated. Christians need Christians as they bond together.
** 4. Through the church parishioners support many worthy endeavors**, whether mission hospitals in Africa or the local soup kitchen. I believe it's still true that contributions to religious organizations far exceed those to any other charitable groups. In many churches special attention are given parishiioners in need - maybe meals delivered when a member returns home from the hsopital.
** 5. Churches also are the early training ground for clergy,** and they inspire children to high ideals of other kinds, as well as instill a deep faith that can provide courage and other support during difficult times to come.
** 6. Churches often serve as community centers. **They may provide space for the local senior center, for blood drives, for thrift shops, for homeless shelters, community theaters, and for other worthy efforts to assist and serve the wider community, and especially its needy.
** 7. As for the sacraments, they receive more emphasis among Episcopalians and Lutherans **than, say, among Presbyterians and Congregationalists (United Church of Christ). Even in this, there is variation from parish to parish, often depending upon the tradition of the congregation or the focus of the minister.
**God bless Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, Jews, Muslims and people of every creed, color and country.** Sometimes it seems as though a small group - even here on CAF - work hard to keep prejudice alive when Christians should view one another as fellow believers, members of the same family which (like most families) has a variety of opinions and personalities. That doesn't make anyone so tragically wrong, just loving the same Lord with different points of of view on a variety of matters.
