Why do we bother to come to church?

I guess to answer this question, we need to answer the first, “Why do we need God? Do we need God only when our lives are in trouble and we need to seek Him? For me, each time I think about this, I recall those days as an unbeliever. I was happy about my life & led a good life (most of the time at least), but there was always something missing. I would set out to work hard to accomplish something, only to find that the sense of satisfaction and purpose is so fleeting. It is only when I learnt who God was and was attracted my His love & grace, did I know what I was missing. Pascal was right. There is indeed a God-shaped vacuum in each of our hearts which only God Himself can fill. After that, life just makes sense. If life was not eternal, but temporal, then whatever we do here do not matter. In that case, why bother? But if life is eternal, then the entire perspective changes! It is just like playing a friendly game of football versus playing in the Super Bowl. In the former, we play for the fun of it, sweat a little, but so what? However, in the latter situation our entire attitude toward the game changes. So if anyone had any reason to lead a purposeful, meaningful & driven life, it should be a Christian because we know this temporal life amounts to something in eternity. When all is said and done, it means something. We do not just disintegrate into ashes & dust. And if so, then God is important to every aspect of my life, not just when I run into problems. His Word is useful for my life, my work, my relationships, my time, my money & what not! My friends, the question is, “Do you know this source of joy, fulfillment and purpose in life?”

So I ask myself, “Why do I need to come to church?” After all, I can maintain a good relationship with God alone. In fact, I prefer to be alone! Honestly, there have been times in my walk with God that I ask this question, even now as a minister. Each time, I come back to the same answer – because my Savior commands it. It is a time when I can come together with my brothers and sisters in Christ to worship my Savior. If there is no other reason, that is good enough. 1 John 5:1-3 tells us that we display our love for God by obeying his commandments and that includes worshipping Him as a corporate body. However, there is more to it than just 1 Jo 5:1-3. Of all the organizations on earth, only the Church is called the bride of Christ. According to the Word of God, each one in the local body called the church, brings to the table a unique gift. We are to use this gift to build one another up and mature the body of Christ, the church (Eph 4:7-16)! As a body of Christ, each of us have something to contribute and when each one of us love one another as we ought, we live out God’s love for the world to see, a love and joy like no other. That is why I go to Church. That is why I go there to be involved – in the ministries, in the lives of others & try to make a difference. The kind of joy you get in return when you see a life change is so addictive, to the extent that personally, I find that it is the only endeavor in life worth my life!

Brothers and sisters , why do you go to church?

The best of times & the worst of times...

It’s the best of times and the worst of times to be a pastor… this thought kept ringing in my mind as I drove home from the hospital after visiting Curtis. The last statement that Curtis made to me, “It must be the worst time to be a pastor, right Isaac? To have a parishioner like me!” I didn’t have an answer then. Well Curtis! What can one say about him? I have known Curtis for only about a year or so and he had been battling cancer for the last four & a half years. Being a new pastor to DCFC, naturally I paid attention to this man, given his positive and joyful disposition despite what he had been going through. He is a fighter! He is a fighter, that’s what he is! He clearly exemplified this fact to all of us when he had just amputated one of his arms and he was right back at the piano playing for worship – with one arm! This is Curtis for you.

Indeed, it is the worst of time to be a pastor because it hurts so much to see a member of the family suffer, yet it is the best of times because our ministry is about life & death and more importantly, life after death! And we have hope because of what the Lord had done for us. Today as I stood by his bed, staring at his lifeless body, I know our brother is at a much better place. I know because of what the Lord has promised in His Word. I thought about the brief time I had the privilege of getting to know this brother and realized that he taught me how to live. More than being a fighter, he showed me what was truly important and worth living for. I remember one of the last times I visited the hospital. He was talking to Nelson & myself alone in the ward, when he suddenly got agitated, calling out for his wife. I thought he felt some pain or discomfort, but when his wife came in, all he asked for was a hug from her. I remember vividly standing outside his ward, looking in and they were just embracing each other. At the end of his life, this was what truly mattered – his family & those God had placed around him! At that moment, a passage from Scripture came to mind.

Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!"…13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. King Solomon tried to find meaning in life from power, wealth, women, drinking, building great buildings and projects, at the end of his life said that true meaning is only found when we live in fear of the Lord. This means we are to live in accordance to God’s word & for Him. In God’s mind, people always mattered more than things. But sometimes, in the busyness of life, or in the excitement of pursuits in life, I have forgotten this. I think our brother Curtis, to the best that he could, has done this. Unable to wipe out that image of them locked in an embrace, when I got home that day, all I wanted was a hug from my wife…

One life to live, only what is done for God will last…Is this not the best of times and the worst of times to be a pastor?