Over the last few posts, I’ve attempted to answer the question of “why go to church?” by offering a vision of what is happening in our Sunday gatherings.
A vision that goes beyond what is seen.
A vision that pierces through the elements of song, preaching, and community.
This leaves one thing to be addressed—the question of feelings.
It’s easy to read about Sunday morning and be left with this: But what if I don’t feel like going or don’t feel anything when I’m there?
Are Feelings Reality?
Feelings and emotions are notoriously…..notorious.
They’re always hovering in our minds, usually beyond our control, and regularly surprise us.
And, more often than we’d like to admit, they’re unreliable guides. The great struggle of humanity is to not take our feelings as indicative of reality all of the time.
Experientially, we all know this.
If we only went to work, spoke kindly to our neighbors, let our dog outside for the 100th time in a day, went to the gym, or did our taxes when we wanted to, these things would happen far less often—or not at all!
Our emotions aren’t always oriented toward the necessary in life.
They’re inclined toward the easy.
The Power of Emotions
That said, emotions are unbelievably powerful.
This is why my goal hasn’t been to fill up your brain with intellectual reasons for church attendance—my goal is for you to long for it!
I’ve tried to craft a vision for gathering with the people of God so that you would “not neglect meeting together, as is the habit of some.” (Hebrews 10:25).
Our feelings are powerful so that’s where I’ve been aiming.
So on the days when you don’t feel like going.
Or you don’t feel anything happening when you do go.
Remember.
Remember not to trust that your emotions are always indicative toward reality.
Remember that cosmic things are happening and the Holy Spirit is working—despite how you might feel.
Remember Jesus on the cross, crying out “My God, my God, what have you forsaken me?”
The felt presence of God the Father was absent. His emotions told him he was abandoned.
But he was at the climactic point in fulfilling God’s cosmic purposes of salvation.