<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Q: Why go to church? All I hear from my preacher is how bad I am and how little I am doing. A: I feel sorry for you if this is all you are being told. Still, you should ask yourself, "Is this all that is being said, or is this all that I am hearing?" Salvation and a new life with God are free gifts through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If someone is telling you to shape up to earn your salvation, run away. If someone is saying that God will not love you unless you do or stop doing something, run away. Those who consistently preach such sermons are not true ministers of the Gospel. However, all of us need God's Law reminding us that we are not holy as the Lord our God is holy. Our minds do not always focus on his Word, nor are our eyes always fixed "on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith." The Lord reminds us of our sins to make us ready to receive his forgiveness. He cautions us about getting lost so we look to him for direction. He reminds us of the lovelessness and selfishness that exist in this world so we celebrate even more his love and self-sacrifice. Let's also look at our vocabulary. "Going to church," is the common expression, echoing the Psalm, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" But for many, going to church equates with going to the store, the dentist, or the doctor. It's something "out there" that I occasionally visit to get something I don't have or can't do at home. As you suggest, this trip may be painful. To view the Church (capital "C" standing for the body of all believers in Jesus Christ) as market or service-provider sells short what Jesus intended it to be. His Bride provides a place of healing for sin-sickened sinners. She instructs those who seek to be truly wise. She reconciles alienated and lonely people. She is more than a place or a congregation. The Church, with its congregational manifestations, involves a relationship. She is family, and thus we don't go to church any more than we go to family. People become adults and move away from their parents. Christians remain children of God and stay home with the family. If God is Father, who are our "mother, brothers, and sisters?" St. Augustine clues us in with this: "Love the Lord, because he loves you; pay frequent visits to this mother who bore you. Consider what this mother has conferred upon you, joining creatures to the Creator, making slaves into children of God, making the devil's henchmen into Christ's brothers and sisters. You won't show yourselves ungrateful for these immense benefits received from her, if you show her the proper consideration of your presence. Nor can any of you hope to have God as a gracious Father, if you neglect the Church as your mother." If you see your house of worship as a harsh, judgmental parent, perhaps you are an unruly child. But the problem could be that you have been joined to a false, self-serving parent, not the one God intended to be your true mother. A loving mother will discipline and instruct. She will also hold, caress, cuddle. She will help you learn to work and play with your brothers and sisters. She will give of herself. She'll sometimes say, "No," to your requests. Often, she'll say, "Not yet, but when you are ready." Her bridal relationship with the Bridegroom Jesus Christ will teach you how to relate to your earthly kin as well as to your faith-family. We aren't "single-parent" children. Where our mother is, there is our Father. He heads our household and she mediates his justice and his mercy. Don't fret about having to go to church. Instead, run to mommy and Daddy. Come home to where your heart is, to where you store your riches, to the place where the love of God flows. Snuggle up to mom, and listen to her tell you about all the good things Dad has done for you. Hear her tell you of riches beyond count, of love beyond measure, of wisdom and understanding beyond the eyes of sinful humanity. Again, if you don't have this relationship with mom, ask Dad's help in establishing it. If the problem is with you, confess your sins and receive the forgiveness and new family life he freely gives. If the problems are with the place you go, then seek out that place where each gathering is a family reunion. Let your mother (and through her, your Father) guide, correct, and discipline you even as she showers you with her love. Don't go to church, come home to her. We'll be back next week. Until then, remember to "Ask the Pastor" your questions at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.