Stop Going to Church

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus announces: "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (Matthew 5:23-24).

Incredibly, Jesus believed that reconciling with people takes precedence over ceremonies. Jesus didn't condemn religious rites. Instead, he affirmed that people take priority. No religious ceremony is worth more than any individual. Anger, battles, and contentions cannot be swept under the rug by sitting in an auditorium. No amount of hymns, sermons, Bible studies, Lord's Suppers, recitations of the Lord's Prayer, or small groups can substitute for one estranged relationship.

We might contemporize Jesus' statement, "Therefore, if you are singing a praise song, speaking in tongues, or taking communion leave and first be reconciled. Afterward, come and resume your activity."

That is an astoundingly drastic suggestion. In Jesus' context, the temple ceremonies were the highest form of piety. To instruct people to discard them in favor of reconciling relationships struck at the very heart of the religious structure. Nevertheless, Jesus teaches that people are more valuable than rites?even God ordained ones. God has fashioned people, not religion, in the divine image.

So, in the mode of Jesus, I encourage you to take a radical step. In taking Jesus seriously, in taking discipleship earnestly, in following the words and spirit of Jesus, I invite you to stop going to church?if you can think of someone with whom you are at odds. Have you crossed someone? Are you quarrelling with your sister or brother? Would you prefer to see someone dead rather than see them sitting in your pew? Church going will not resolve that situation. Only the hard work of humility can set things straight. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Once you go the extra mile in resolving the situation, then go back. When you do, you may discover new joy, meaning, and purpose in the ceremony. By the grace of God, you may discover that you hold people far dearer than any observances.

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