Worshiping Is a Duty and End in Itself

Does it really not matter if Christians go to church? Let me explain why I believe it does matter. While doing so I should mention that I am responding to the recent article (On Faith, Sept. 4) by the Rev. William Aulenbach--who is, like me, an Episcopal priest.

Others have already shared their reactions to some of Rev. Aulenbach’s questionable assertions. I want to address one they did not mention: his argument that a person may be a good Christian without attending church.

For some years I have been adjusting to the enormous fact that the chief goal of God is to glorify God and enjoy God’s self forever. Some readers might wince at this novel rendition of a familiar phrase from a historic confession of faith. If I applied this cryptic turn on the ancient line from the catechism to myself, I would be in trouble. For if I were to say, “The chief goal of Richard is to glorify myself and enjoy Richard’s self forever,” I would be guilty of overweening pride.

But with God it is different. God’s nature is so good, so loving, so perfect, that worship of God is truly an end in itself. Therefore, all creatures, and especially human beings, have no higher calling or purpose than to glorify God. We call this God-seeking and God-praising activity worship. It is our highest end and greatest opportunity. God loves it when we worship.

If we humans have no higher calling than to glorify God, the same is also true for God. The amazing thing is that God is far more committed to expanding our worship of his divine majesty than are even the most devoted of his followers. If God were not constantly and universally pointing his creatures toward himself as the greatest and most satisfying object of our affection and love, then God would by default be directing us toward some lesser end. And if God did so, God would be leading us astray. A perfect God cannot fail to exalt himself because it would be dishonest to suggest that anyone or anything else was more worthy of our praise and adoration. Furthermore, God cannot remain passive and unmoved when people ignore, forget, reject or remain ignorant of God’s desire to be worshiped by all creatures. God’s loving care for us is too comprehensive for that.

The opinion about church-going expressed by Rev. Aulenbach suggests that God is indifferent to whether people worship. Such a claim seriously misrepresents the character of God.

Even the pagan Magi knew that the infant Jesus commanded their worship (Matthew 2:11). Even the man who had been blind worshiped Jesus (John 9:38). At the ascension of Christ, all his disciples worshiped Jesus and “stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (Luke 24:53).

The very nature and character of God elicits worship that is corporate and regular. Jesus, himself God, tells the Samaritan woman that God’s “worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Jesus may have had a better understanding of how to observe the Lord’s day than some Pharisees who disputed with him, but his example of going regularly to the synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16) still forms the basis for Christians, who are the disciples of Jesus, to do as their teacher did and worship regularly.

The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer puts it this way: “The duty of all Christians is to follow Christ, to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray and give for the spread of the kingdom of Christ.” This is the teaching of the Episcopal Church, of which I am a member. It is also the common wisdom among orthodox branches of Christianity.

Of course, true Christians usually will not need a legal code to persuade them to go to church any more than normal people need a police officer to make them eat when they are hungry. Spirit-filled worship is too exciting and joyous to miss out on voluntarily. In some societies, Christians are persecuted if found worshiping. Thus it is helpful to remind believers that worship is a duty as well as a privilege.

Perhaps one might say there is a difference between church-going and true worship. Any statement can be true, if you allow private definitions of the meaning of the words. I know I couldn’t call myself a “good Christian” if I didn’t worship regularly with other believers. Given the freedom to do so, without regular worship I would not dare to call myself a Christian at all.

“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ ” (Psalms 122:1).

On Faith is a forum for Orange County clergy and others to offer their views on religious topics of general interest. Submissions, which will be published at the discretion of The Times and are subject to editing, should be delivered to Orange County religion page editor Jack Robinson.