What Church Attendance Means to America

For most of the history of the United States, going to church on Sunday morning has been a treasured tradition. The Christian bulletin covers that people see each Sunday morning usually reflect the time of year or holiday that is about to be celebrated. Far beyond beauty and value of Christian bulletin covers, the spiritual value of church attendance can best be measured in the strength for living that each person receives from their time together under the teaching and preaching of God’s Word.

Strength in Family Unity

American families are pulled in many different directions by the forces of society. Families can choose to be involved in soccer, football, baseball, basketball, fishing, camping or even shopping. The son wants to attend an activity that is of interest to him, and the daughter has dance classes on the other end of town. Mom and dad can contribute to the confusion by taking interest in something completely different from the rest of the family. As the family is pulled in four or five different directions, family unity is one of the first things that falls by the wayside. Families that get up on Sunday morning and go to church are able to find valuable common ground that keeps them from being torn apart by all the pressures of modern American life. Families and individuals who attend church also receive strength from the other people they have the opportunity to fellowship with and befriend. There is no greater strength available to people than the strength that comes from receiving support from someone you know and love.

Guidance for Families and Individuals

The entire world claims to be looking for the truth about the issues of life, and the struggles mankind is constantly involved in. The search for truth has been one of the most important driving forces in the history of human civilization. Even Pontius Pilate was concerned about the issue of truth when he said, “What is Truth?” to Jesus just before he condemned Him to the cross in the Gospel of John, chapter 18, verse 38. When families come together on Sunday morning for the trip to church, there is usually a wealth of opportunities for the family to discuss the important issues of life the family may be facing. Sunday school teachers, teen leaders and pastors can provide a perspective on life that will enable people to see the truth in the events that affect their daily lives.

Spiritual Reality and Value in Life

For people who do not attend a church of any kind, the material things they possess are their reality. People who attend church know very well that the possession of material goods is not the real measure of a reality or value in human life. People who attend church know that having a spiritual emphasis in life is the real measure of the value in life. The Bible teaches that man is a triune being, that is, man has a body, soul and spirit. The spirit is the part of man that relates directly with God. When people go to church, they learn how to have a close relationship with God, and how to allow spiritual things take first place in their lives. It would be very tragic indeed if people stopped going to church, because our society would become solely interested in the material things of this life, and miss the real value in life.

Protection for Families and Individuals

Families and individuals in the United States are surrounded by a seemingly overwhelming amount of danger each day. People are killed in auto accidents, threatened by dangerous criminals, exposed to drug dealers, concerned about child molesters and abductors and worried about their ability to hold their family together. The greatest measure of the protection that families and individuals receive from going to church and having a relationship with God is best described by these words from Psalm 91.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (Verses1-4)

Yes, it would be a real spiritual tragedy if more people stopped going to church. The value a person receives from church attendance is measured in the depth of family unity, guidance for the trials of this life and the protection that can only come from God.