No, I’m not wishing for the good old days when I opened up a 12-inch wide LP and placed a needle on a big vinyl disc. You can have my iTunes account when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking we don’t lose something when we don’t have an open-up-the-box moment for the new album release.
U2 learned that with the release of their latest album. They made it too easy for us by automatically adding it to everyone’s iTunes account. Because of that, the headline wasn’t “U2 releases their first new album in almost a decade—for free!” It was, “Hey, why is this thing on my phone! I didn’t ask for this!” Bono has actually apologized for it. Yes, he apologized for giving everyone a free album without their consent. (There’s another blog post in that, right?)
Why Going to Church Matters
So, at last, we come to the point. What does all of this have to do with going to church?
For almost 2,000 years, we haven’t just been the church, we’ve gathered for church. Because the event matters.
There’s something important about getting up on a Sunday morning (or heading out on a Saturday night, etc.) to gather with other believers.
It tells me and my family that being the church matters, because things that matter get a spot on our schedules. They carve time out of our week. They cost us something to do.
Yes, we are the church. But it’s also important that we go to church.
The event gives weight to the content.
Churchgoing as a Delivery System
Being the church is like the music on an album. It’s the thing that really matters. But the event of churchgoing is like the LP, CD or MP3 player. It’s the delivery system for that content. Going to church reminds us that being the church matters.
That’s what every good church experience should do.
So, why is church attendance down, even among believers? Is it because we’ve elevated going to church over being the church? Or is it because we think we can be the church without going to church?
Yes. Both/and.
Neither can stand alone without the other.
When we tell people it’s only about being the church, they stop going. And soon, they stop being.
When we tell them it’s all about going to church, they think attendance is enough and they stop being the church. Then, people who stop being the church stop seeing the need to go to church. It’s a vicious circle.
We need both. I need both. The church needs both.
I am a part of the church, so I go to church.
And I go to church because we are the church.
