Should I Go to Church?

Sunday was a beautiful day. When I woke up, the sun was already shining and the birds were singing. I decided to take an early morning hike.

The spring wildflowers were blooming in all their glory, as pretty as I’ve ever seen them. The early morning dew quickly soaked my shoes as I crossed meadows and climbed into the foothills.

After my hike I had planned to swim and catch some rays on a comfortable lounge by the pool. But something about the beauty of the day made me want to worship God. I decided to go to church.

The music had already begun when I arrived. Everyone was singing a song I had never heard, a song about how much God cares for us. The song ended and the pastor told us to greet those around us. I didn’t know anyone. But everyone else seemed to know each other. Just as everyone was sitting down, two of the people in front of me turned to me and said “Hello, glad to have you here.” No one asked my name.

The pastor preached a sermon about obeying God, but I don’t remember much of what he said. However, I remember the ten or fifteen minutes after the last prayer very well.

Here I Am! Here I Am! Hello!

After the prayer the pastor announced that he needed to meet with “the board” in a room in the back. The pastor and a group of people quickly exited.

The people who had been sitting near me all turned to people they seemed to know and began talking. Since no one turned to me, I decided to get coffee and a doughnut at the coffee table.

The woman on duty at the coffee table smiled at me, and then turned to talk to someone else. I stepped away and moved near a group of people who were engaged in conversation. One woman turned and headed toward me.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah it is,” she said as she hurried past.

Two more people passed me. They both said hello and asked how I was, but never paused for even a moment so I might answer.

I thought I’d try my luck elsewhere. Spotting the pastor’s wife, who for some reason wasn’t in “the board” meeting, I approached her and repeated my comment about the beautiful day. She said it was about time we had a beautiful day and then told me she needed to talk to someone else.

Next I approached a couple who were not talking to anyone. After greeting them, they asked where I worked. When I told them, they said the wife was looking for a job and asked me if my company had any job openings. I told them what I knew. They thanked me, turned and walked away.

I’d Rather Go to Brunch

Looking across the room, I saw that everyone appeared to be talking to someone. I stood there alone and watched for several more minutes, then decided I wanted to go to a restaurant for brunch.

Brunch was delicious. I ate too much, but wished I had followed through with my plans to spend some quality time by the pool after my hike. At least I’d have a nice tan. As it was, I’d heard music that I didn’t know, a sermon that I couldn’t remember and had watched people talk to each other. No one had told me their name and no one had asked me my name.

I felt so anonymous.

So I asked myself then, and continue to ask myself now, “Why should I go to church?”