Family of Seven

"I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in truth." 3 John 4

We were at church this morning having just returned to our pew from communion. I had a few moments to pray. After the end of the communion song and right before our post-communion prayer my youngest son (and youngest child) whispered into my ear, "Mommy we don't have 6 people in our family, we have 7." I smiled thinking he was talking about the dog, but then was surprised he forgot about the cat and the newest member of our family "Charlie" the Fish. But then he continued, wanting me to understand his revelation, "We have Mommy, Daddy, DD #1, DD #2, DS #1, DS #2 and God. God is a part of our family, Mommy." I lit up with a smile of pure joy and said, "yes, yes He is."

And this is why we go to church as a family.

I have many friends who do not go to church and just as many reasons for why they do not. Everything ranging from theology, family of origin, faith disagreements between spouses, religiosity, spirituality, only day of the weekend to sleep in, travel sports and much more. Much of it can come down to the fact that they don't believe they need a church to be with God. And I couldn't agree with them more. God is within them, surrounding them and always beside them, they do not need a building to be with Him.

But what if the church was more than just being with God for an hour on Sunday morning? What if church was a place to discover through thousands of years of tradition all that we are and all that we can be? What if church was a physical place where believers can gather to uphold one another in times of hardship and uplift one another in times of celebration? What if church was who you are and how you are and taught your children who they are and who God desires them to be? What if church was the place that you said "Thank you God", "peace to you my friend", "you are my neighbor and I love you as Christ loves you". And what if church became as ordinary and as powerful in your life as breathing? What if you formed friendships with people who would tell you the Truth in Love and Love you in Truth?

I wonder then if it would be so easy for people to forgo church or to just keep it in the realm of their to do list? I wonder if church would become who they are and how they went out into the world? The sanctuary building would be their place to gather to worship God and rediscover His Word weekly, to rest and rejuvenate, to reach out and to gather close, to be blessed so that they might go forth as a blessing.

Church for me is a place to ask questions and then live out the answers. And I am filled with Joy in the answer my youngest son has found within himself from his shared experience at church.