The Omnibus

Issue date: 4/15/04 Section: The Forum

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An article in the Easter Sunday edition of The Arizona Republic, discussed the relationship between religious faith and church attendance. Writer Michael Clancy pointed out that though there has been a recent emphasis on religion in our culture, especially in the time surrounding the release of "The Passion of the Christ," church attendance figures across America show no signs of growth, and may even be slipping.

Although most experts who watch cultural trends acknowledge a recent rise in the spirituality of individuals, attendence of mainline denominations has stagnated.

While at SBU I have had countless discussions with fellow students about church affiliation. More often than not, the conversation invariably turns to the reasons why a particular student has had difficulty finding a church home in the Bolivar area, and how none of the churches they have visited compare to the hometown church they attended. I find it troubling that many find themselves drifting from one congregation to another without intending to settle upon a regular place of worship.

Upon entering college, those of us who have been regular church attendees all our lives find ourselves in a peculiar place. No longer is our choice of congregation subjected to the influence of friends or parents. We have the freedom to do what we want and worship with whatever group we choose, in whichever style we choose. With this great freedom comes a responsibility that too often goes ignored. For years others have told us what we should look for in a church home, and now, we must decide for ourselves what this means.

Unfortunately, some college students determine church attendance is about who serves the best free lunch, an exciting worship band, or a pastor whose sermons relate to their demographic. Sadder is the number of students who equate having a variety of choices with not having to make a choice at all. Several years ago, a student on my hall often talked about how service had been at "Bedside Baptist" that Sunday. Our attitude towards church attendance should not be about getting what we want or about seeing what we can get away with. Rather, our attitude should spring from a desire to live in obedience to God. It is about being the people that God called us to be when he brought us to salvation.

I am not suggesting students settle on the most boring and uninspired church they come across simply to please God. However, to ask any congregation to live up to the standards we have set for what a church is to look like is a ludicrous proposition. This issue is not about our standards anyway. It is about God's standards for how his body should look.

Though most of us will probably not make our permanent homes in Bolivar, we should take the opportunities afforded us in the time we are here to live out God's purposes for us. We should desire to find a place where we are regularly being equipped and given chances to minister to others. We must make it of great importance to attach ourselves to people who sharpen us and encourage us to grow in our faith. To neglect these values is to miss out on the best that God has in store for us.

Admittedly, I went through a period of wandering from church to church upon arriving at SBU. After being a part of the same congregation for the last two years, I wish I had that time back. The fellowship and spiritual discipline I have experienced as a part of a local congregation have been invaluable in shaping my walk with the Lord and I am grateful for the chances I have been given to put my faith into practice.

We should not be content to honor God in our dorm Bible studies and campus worship sessions. We must consider places where we will be invested in and allowed to invest in people of all generations, backgrounds and ideas. We have to allow ourselves a chance to get a complete picture of what the Body looks like. This should not be done for legalism's sake or for the sake of pleasing God through works, but because we desire to lovingly obey the God who has made us a part of himself. Going to church is about nothing more than, nothing less than truly seeking to be the church.

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