Why go to Church?

"Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Pet 1:1 - 4)

Why should I go to church? Most of us have probably asked ourselves this question many times during our lives. The role of the Church in our life is very often misunderstood. In the book "The illness and cure of the soul in the Orthodox Tradition", the author Bishop of Nafpaktos Ierotheos Vlachos states:
"Firstly, I must underline that the Church is a spiritual Hospital which heals man. The Church is not an association of good and pious people, but the blessed Body of Christ within which people are cured."

We all need healing in one way or another. We live in a fallen world. It cannot be easily denied. One does not have to look far to see brokenness, pain, illness, suffering. We know in our hearts that life here is not ideal. God did not intend for life to be like this. God is greatly saddened as he looks upon our fallen way of life. He created us to have communion with Him and to live harmoniously with one another and the good news is that He desires to liberate us from this brokenness which weighs on us. He calls to us.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

There are volumes of reasons why it is good and important to go to church. The most essential thing to remember is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified for us and for our salvation, and then rose from the dead three days later, and then ascended into heaven and He will come again to judge the living and the dead (taken from our Creed). This is the foundation of the Church which God has established. God has vested all authority in His Son Jesus Christ. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6).

If you have difficulty believing these miraculous events happened or struggle to believe in the authority of Jesus Christ, that is okay, but don't give up! Don't write it off just because many people in the world see the Church as simply another earthly institution. It is important to look into it for oneself and not let others define the Church for us. It is important to know the basic history of the Church. Faith is often thought of as blind, but in reality it is based on evidence and there is plenty of it for those desiring to know. Some of us need more evidence than others. God will supply as much as we need. All that He asks is that we earnestly seek Him. God does not hide Himself from us, but the world has rather hid itself from God. The Orthodox Church is a treasure house of wisdom which has faithfully preserved the history, traditions and teachings from the beginning. There are many institutions in the world today competing for our souls, all proclaiming to benefit us in various ways. The Truth is nourishment for the soul as food is for the body. A wise person will learn how to eat well and will not be swayed into eating less healthy foods even though they may seem easier to obtain or prepare, or even taste better at first..

People give many different reasons for not going to church. There are many who say that it is not necessary to go to church to know God. It is indeed possible to know God to some degree outside of the physical church, but if we are earnest about being healed, it is essential to go to church. The Church, the blessed Body of Christ, is here by necessity, because of the fall of mankind. It is here to restore us. God knows our hearts and He is eager to lead us to the right place if He sees that we are earnest in our pursuit.

"But if a man repents sincerely, any sin can be forgiven him. The power of repentance is based on the power of God. The Doctor is all-powerful, and the Medicine given by Him is all-powerful"

St. John Chrysostom, pondering on the miraculous results of sincere repentance, says:

"Repentance is a medicine which destroys sin. It is a heavenly gift, a marvelous force which through the grace of God conquers the might and strictness of the laws. It accepts all and transforms all. It does not neglect the fornicator, does not send away the adulterer, is not disgusted with the drunkard, does not loathe the idolater, does not neglect the slanderer, does not persecute the reviler nor the haughty man: it regenerates everybody because it is a furnace for purification from sin. The wound and the medicine, these are sin and Repentance".