Do you "go" to Church or do you "go" to Worship?

Do you "go" to church or do you "go" to worship? A friend sent me this little story.

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now.. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.

Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!"

Again the question, "Do you "go" to church or do you "go" to worship?" I believe there is a difference. If you are a church “goer,” (the first man in the story) then you may believe that the church must be all things to all people, and foremost yourself. You may leave and feel as though your needs have not been met. However, if you are seeking God and nourishment from Him, (the second man) then you will find Him, and in His presence you will find the nourishment you need.

Consider just for a moment, how different "church" would be if instead of getting up and going to church, we would get up and ready ourselves for “worship.” Then we would leave the service, “spirit” filled and ready to do whatever it takes to make our churches relevant for today.

For me, I thank God for the churches that Joey and I have been so privileged to attend and/or serve these past 36 years. Through the sharing the love that Jesus has place in you, you have loved us when we needed love, shared food from your tables, comforted us in our grief, counseled us during times of need, held us up when we could not stand alone, cried with us when we cried, and laughed when we were filled with joy, prayed for us when we were weak and needed God's strength and help, and most of all you have been our adoptive "family, brothers and sisters in Christ. You (Campfield, Flint Hill, Mt.Pleasant, Floyd's Creek, Zoar, Double Springs, Boiling Springs, Christ Covenant, Big Springs, Trinity, and Valley View) have been faithful to God and to us.

Is there anyone out there who God has blessed through your church relationships?