In Ray and Jani Ortlund’s new book, To the Tenth Generation, there's a sentence that made me pause. They write, “Church is a rich resource for long-term steadiness disguised as a short trip down the road.”
I’ve been thinking about that sentence ever since I read it.
Going to church every week may seem small and unimportant. Sometimes, we even wonder if it's worth the effort.
The truth is, church doesn’t look like much, but its value is incalculable. Church sets us up for long-term stability. It's a weekly routine that helps us refocus and refresh. The Lord can use your church to help you grow without you even noticing.
While private spiritual practices are important, we need the church even more. We were not meant to grow alone; we were meant to grow together with other believers. Reading Scripture by ourselves is important, but reading it together as a church is indispensable. Praying alone can be hard, but praying with others at church can support us when we struggle. Sometimes we don’t have the strength to pray on our own.
We aren’t meant to live the Christian life by ourselves. We need the church.
Almost everything we're supposed to do as individual believers, we are also supposed to do as part of the church.
Jake Belder, a pastor and theologian, explained our need for the church in a series of tweets:
Every so often, I get asked, “What feeds you spiritually? What works for you?” That question bugs me, for one, because nothing ever worked particularly well for me. “Quiet times,” reading plans, they were all exhausting. But it also bugs me because the question assumes that you’re entirely responsible for your own spirituality. And so you cycle through all manner of spiritual “techniques,” just getting more exhausted and no more “spiritual.”
Nothing was more of a relief for me than discovering that the Church has already figured this all out for me. The Church gives me rituals and habits, rhythms and patterns, for nurturing my spirituality each day and throughout the year.
But in this self-centered era, it takes a big step of faith to trust that the Church has more wisdom in these matters than you do. But when you do, recognizing the Spirit guides the Church in discerning how best to nurture its members’ spirituality, it is so freeing. It’s a gift to know the Church has 2000 years of practices proven to form & shape you and that you don’t have to figure it out for yourself. (quoted in 8 Habits for Growth)
The church might be the most underrated and under-appreciated way to grow spiritually. Some argue say that church is ineffective and doesn't help people grow, but don't believe them. Church is part of God's plan for your life. If you're struggling to grow, remember how important the church is.
As the Ortlunds write:
All you do is show up, and the Lord meets you there, making your church even better than it is. And there you are, refocused on him and ready to ramp up for another week in this world. Why not thank him? And make sure you never miss another Sunday?
Then toss in, for good measure, the songs, the prayers, the conversations with friends, the seminars and classes and studies and missions trips. Your church provides you with multiple exposures to Jesus and his gospel every Sunday, plus more… Most churches are not impressive, but God moves toward the unimpressive. And wherever he is, that’s where we keep coming alive — again and again.
