Church Isn't a Punch Clock

 

I’ve been a pastor long enough to notice something interesting about church attendance.

Sometimes we treat church like a punch clock.

We show up three or four Sundays in a row and apparently think, Well, that ought to cover me until Christmas.

Punch in. Punch out. See you in six months.

Okay, I’m having a little fun with it, but you know what I mean.

Somewhere along the way, church went from being a lifestyle decision to being a weekly decision.

Every Sunday morning we wake up and hold a family meeting with ourselves.

Are we going today?

How tired am I?

What’s the weather like?

Did we stay up too late last night?

Do the kids want to go?

Is there something else happening?

Is the Packer game at noon?

Okay, that last one might actually be considered an emergency here in Wisconsin.

But seriously, when did being part of a church family become something we decide from week to week?

Now before somebody gets upset with me, let me say this clearly: There are legitimate reasons to miss church.

People get sick.

People take vacations.

People have to work.

Families have things going on.

Sometimes life just happens.

I’m not talking about perfect attendance. We don't hand out gold stars at the end of the year, and I don't believe God is sitting in Heaven with an attendance sheet saying, “Well, Bob missed the third Sunday in July. We need to talk about that.”

That's not what this is about. But there is a difference between occasionally missing church and church simply not being a priority anymore. And here's where it gets interesting. I've watched people disappear from church for months or sometimes years and then tragedy hits.

Suddenly there's a diagnosis.

A marriage is falling apart.

A child is struggling.

A job is lost.

Someone dies.

Life takes an unexpected turn.

And where do we often turn?

The church.

And I'm glad we do!

Please come.

If your world is falling apart and you haven't been inside a church for ten years, come anyway. A healthy church shouldn't stand at the door asking where you've been. It should open the door and say, “We're glad you're here. How can we walk with you?”

But here's something worth thinking about: Why wait for the valley to start looking for people to walk through it with you? I've also seen something else happen many times. Young people grow up in church. Then they graduate, become adults, and church slowly disappears from their lives.

Then something happens.

They have a baby.

Suddenly they're thinking, You know, we should probably find a church.

And again—I think that's great!

Bring those babies!

Bring those toddlers!

Bring the kid who won't sit still.

Bring the one who talks during the sermon.

Bring the one who somehow needs to use the bathroom four times in 45 minutes.

We want them!

But I've always found it interesting that when children come along, we suddenly remember the value of the spiritual foundation we once had.

We say things like:

“I want my kids to know about God.”

“I want them to learn the Bible.”

“I want them to have good values.”

“I want them to grow up with faith.”

Absolutely.

But here's my question: If it's important enough for your children, isn't it important enough for you? Kids notice what we prioritize. If we tell them church is important but attend whenever there's nothing better happening, they're smart enough to figure out what “important” actually means.

Faith isn't something we outsource to a children's ministry for an hour on Sunday. It is something we live. Which brings me back to the bigger question: When did church go from being a lifestyle decision to a weekly decision? Do you have to go to church to be a Christian? No. There. I said it and I'm a pastor! Sitting in a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a Buick. Our salvation comes through Jesus Christ, not through church attendance.

But I think sometimes we ask the wrong question. Instead of asking, “Do I HAVE to go to church?” maybe we should ask, “Why wouldn't I WANT to be connected to a church family?”Because when you find the right church and I'm not saying it has to be my church, you find something incredibly valuable.

Find a healthy, Bible-believing church.

It might have 50 people.

It might have 5,000.

It might have an organ.

It might have electric guitars.

The pastor might preach in a suit and tie.

The pastor might preach in jeans.

You may sing hymns written 200 years ago or worship songs written two months ago.

Those things aren't nearly as important as finding a place where Jesus is proclaimed, Scripture is taught, people genuinely love one another, and you can grow in your faith. Because when you find that place, you find more than a Sunday service. You find a family. And when you're on the mountaintop, church is a wonderful place to be.

Life is good.

The family is healthy.

The bills are paid.

The job is going well.

You're celebrating.

And you have people celebrating with you.

But here's something I've learned about life: Nobody stays on the mountaintop forever. Eventually, there's a valley. And when that valley comes, there's something powerful about having people around you who already know your name.

People who already know your story.

People who know your kids.

People who notice when you're missing.

People who pray for you without needing the whole story.

People who bring you a meal.

People who send you a text.

People who sit beside you.

People who remind you of God's faithfulness when you're having trouble seeing it yourself.

That's church.

Not a building.

Not an hour on Sunday.

Not a punch on some imaginary spiritual time card.

Hebrews 10:24–25 tells us not to give up meeting together but to encourage one another. Maybe God knew something. Maybe He knew we weren't designed to do this alone.

So maybe it's time to stop waking up every Sunday and deciding whether church makes the schedule that week. Make the bigger decision. “Church is going to be part of our life.” Will you miss sometimes? Of course. Will you take vacations? I hope so. Will somebody wake up sick on Sunday morning? Absolutely and please, for the love of everyone in the congregation, keep them home! But those are exceptions.

Faithfulness is the lifestyle. Not because you're trying to earn God's approval. Not because the pastor needs another person in a chair. Not because somebody is keeping attendance. But because life is better when we don't walk through it alone. Don't wait for the diagnosis. Don't wait for the crisis. Don't wait for the marriage trouble. Don't wait until the kids come along. Don't wait until you're standing in a valley looking around wondering who will walk beside you.

Find a church family. Get involved. Build relationships. Serve somebody. Let somebody know you. Show up when life is great. Show up when life isn't. And somewhere along the way, you'll discover that church isn't something you simply attend. It's a family you become part of.

Church isn't a punch clock.

So stop punching in and out.

Make it a lifestyle.