How to Love “Church”

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I love to fish, but I don’t go as often as I’d like. In fact, when we lived in Iowa I hardly ever went, mostly because in the area where we lived, catching a “keeper” seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime event. And I was spoiled by great fishing in Alaska and Canada.

But I’ve started fishing in a mountain stream only 45 minutes from our home, and though in two recent trips I’ve only caught one 13-inch rainbow trout, I plan to go fishing there as often as I can. Why? Because being surrounded by the most beautiful scenery in America is worth every minute of endless, seemingly useless casting and reeling.

I understand that many people don’t get it. Why waste your time doing something so unproductive? You could be doing something important, or at least, something that is genuinely enjoyable.

A Parallel

It occurs to me that there’s a parallel to churchgoing. It’s no secret that church attendance, at least in the U.S., is down. Many people have stopped going, and that’s a trend of at least 15 years.

The most recent Pew Research Center poll on church-going that I could find is from 2016, and even nine years ago, a plurality of “nones” – people who answer polls asking their denomination by “none” – say they stopped going to church because of disbelief. Lesser proportions of respondents said dislike of organized religion, religious uncertainty and indecision, and “busyness” kept them from going to church.

Fishing, or not, is a matter of a person’s likes and dislikes; much more is at stake in matters of faith, including deciding whether or not to attend church.

A friend recently posted on Facebook a line attributed to Dan White, Jr., who wrote that “consumerism (has) turned the church into a service provider,” where people say, ‘I want good preaching;’ ‘I want amazing worship;’ ‘I want great kids’ programs.’ Would we go to church if it was just a bunch of ragamuffin Jesus-followers gathering around a table, trying to love God and neighbors?”

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Good question. Fact is, trying to compete with bed, time on the golf links, video games, the alluring stuff on TV and streaming services has made it very difficult for churches to compete. Then, you have the fact that many people’s religious education has ended in about the eighth grade – even for people who go to religious high schools and colleges – and many people have a hard time reconciling their faith with what they learn from science and other secular subjects. It’s easy for “church” to become irrelevant.

But, of course, churches aren’t meant to compete. People go to church to find God, through genuine prayer, focused participation in the liturgy, listening to and reflecting on homilies, and the delight in being among other believers, even when those believers are ragamuffin.

For people who belong to the Catholic Church, to which I belong, attending Mass is particularly challenging, in my view. It’s an ancient rite, consisting of the Liturgy of the Word, copied partly from the synagogue service at the time of Jesus, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, based on the words and actions of Jesus’ Last Supper as portrayed in the gospels and Acts of the Apostles.   

Making His Words Your Own

For me, it requires focus - answering prayers, singing, and when the priest is doing the praying, making his words your own. It’s not surprising that many people are left with a case of the blahs, like the reactions generated by people who can’t appreciate a sporting event, rock concert or art museum because they don’t understand them.

Here are some suggestions: Even if you have to go out of your way, find a parish or church that is welcoming but serious about helping you find God. It isn’t about entertainment. Learn what you can about the history and meaning of the services, about the people running the church and about the people attending. Participate and focus. Be open and meet people. Pray, not by just asking for stuff, and maybe not even by using words, but by basking in God’s presence as well.

It may take a while, but eventually you’ll start getting it and seeing it as a great gift. And among the proofs that it’s worthwhile is the joy you will feel in connecting with God and others in a way you can’t by staying home.