The Greene Recorder has a biweekly “Light for Our Path” column on faith and life written by local pastors. Here’s my column for July, 2018.
You Are Always Welcome
In the two years I’ve lived here in Greene, I’ve met quite a few people, and I’m often asked the same couple of questions: Where am I from (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin), how long have I lived in Greene (two years), am I married (yes), do I have any pets (a dog), and eventually, what do I do for a living.
I’ve been surprised at the reactions I get to saying I’m a pastor. I appreciate that not one person so far has criticized my calling to work in the church or stated any strong opposition to either the church in general or to St. Peter Lutheran Church in particular. But over and over again, I’ve had people apologize to me for not having been to church in a while – sometimes since well before I was born.
There are a whole variety of reasons I’ve heard for why people don’t go to worship, some perhaps more legitimate than others. What’s surprised me is the guilt so many people carry about not attending church.
Don’t get me wrong – going to church is important for many different reasons. One reason is that you’ve been missed as part of the community! More importantly, God desires and calls us to regularly meet together for worship. But I don’t believe God wants us to carry a heavy burden of guilt or fear.
Sometimes, a little guilt can be a healthy thing, a way God nudges us to do the right thing. But despite its occasional reputation, the church is not here to make life miserable. We’re here to share good news, the meaning and purpose for life found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, “For freedom Christ has set us free.”
I suspect that in many cases, over time people’s guilt over not going to church turns into an obstacle itself. What will people think if I suddenly start attending? Will they think I’ve done something horrible I need to make up for or that I’m having some kind of crisis? What will they say after I leave?
Here’s my encouragement and invitation to you: Just show up. Give it a try. It might be hard. It might be awkward. Things may have changed. You might not know what’s going on, especially if you’re going to a new church or if this whole thing is new to you. That’s ok. Fall is a great time to try going again, with lots of people coming back from the busyness of summer vacation. Trust me, most people at any of the churches in our area will be happy to welcome you. And in God’s eyes, you are always welcome.