In an article I was reading recently, the author remarked that one thing he regretted about his life and felt somewhat guilty about was “not going to church as often as he should have.”
For whatever reason, although I think this is an extremely common sentiment and expression, it suddenly struck me as odd. And I suppose it’s because someone who says this might mean one of two very different things.
On the one hand, he might be feeling bad because he didn’t do enough of the sort of religious performances one needs in order to be in good standing with God or with his peers. This would be a tragic misunderstanding of Christianity.
But on the other hand, he might be feeling bad because he didn’t receive the transformative benefits that come from worshipping God and hearing edifying preaching on a more regular basis, which would have made him a more effective instrument of God in his life. And this of course would be a magnificently appropriate understanding of Christianity.
Although it is Christian to regularly attend church, both the reason you go and the reason you feel bad when you don’t are better indicators of your faith than the behavior itself.
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