Does Church Matter?

It’s a fair question these days. It used to be assumed that going to church was part of life. It mattered to your parents and grandparents, even if you couldn’t see the relevance at the time. As you got older, you understood that it made a difference when it came to things like marriage and how you would raise your children. 

Things today aren’t quite as clear and many are giving up church attendance all together. The authority of the church has been diminished through a series of scandals across many denominations. Secular philosophy that seeks to explain everything in scientific terms alone has taken over our universities and media. It’s no wonder that this present generation of young people would question the thousands of years of history that the church has recorded. But that’s just it—they don’t question it. Rather, they quickly dismiss it without questioning. There is no inquiry into say, miracles, scrutinizing them with the scientific method. There is not a single area of study today where you can earn a degree that requires any knowledge of God whatsoever! 

This means that the Creator, who is the originator of galactic energy and molecules and biodiversity etc., is no longer brought into the study of the creation. And while this is the case worldwide, we continue to see and sense God’s presence very much with us here at Grace. It’s as though we’ve been provided a refuge from the current that is sweeping away human dignity, freedoms, and even, common sense.

 

Perhaps this sounds like a bit of an overreaction, but it seems the world is changing more rapidly that we would like to admit. From the very beginning, God has established places where he has chosen to “dwell” among his people. This happens, of course, through the Eucharist, but through the very real presence of his Spirit. 

By all accounts, this place, Grace Church, matters very much. God’s word is clear. He says that if we seek him, we’ll find him! Our prayer is that you will continue to find at Grace Church the very real presence of God.