Where have we gone wrong?

While I love the church and love being a part of it, there are moments I ask myself why am I a part of it. What I love about life in the church is seeing the beauty of being a part of a movement that was started by Jesus, the Messiah, our Lord. It is an honor and privilege to think that God allows us to be a part of His kingdom, a kingdom that makes a difference in the world (or at least it should).

While on vacation last week we had a great visit with my dad. Cole got baptized in the Atlantic Ocean right before a storm hit the beach. We stepped into this vast ocean, that God created in the very beginning and the story of redemption was proclaimed as one of his children made a pledge of a good conscience to this great God.

We had every intention to go to church before we left for Florida. But on Saturday night, we decided not to drive the 35 or 40 minutes to church the next morning. We chose to spend time with my father and go to the beach. I took Eli (my oldest son) fishing that day. We had some good father and son time together. We saw dolphins. We had a couple manatee swim by right in front of us. Both are creatures God the father created and are another testimony of His presence.

Here is what I hate about being a part of the church. I felt some guilt not going to church. I felt guilt not because I think we did something wrong. I felt guilt because I almost fell in to the trap of thinking we can only experience the presence of the Father in a church building. The truth is, God was present all around me. His presence was at the beach. His presence was in the creatures of the sea. His presence was in the relationship I have with my children, my wife and my father. To quote Rich Mullins, "Everywhere I go I see Him." It is in the acknowledgement of His presence, that we truly worship Him.

I am not trying to promote getting in the habit of not going to church. There is a benefit for every believer to regularly worship with other believers. But, it is not a have to, it is a get to. We get to acknowledge the presence of God in our lives and worship Him with other believers who come to acknowledge His presence also.

There are thousands of people who go to church on a Sunday without acknowledging His presence and they think they have dome something good. When in reality they have just fulfilled a duty. They think God is limited to a building when in fact he is everywhere. Where have we gone wrong?