going to church essay

ONE of the most striking scientific discoveries about religion in recent years is that going to church weekly is good for you. Religious attendance — at least, religiosity — boosts the immune system and decreases blood pressure. It may add as much as two to three years to your life. The reason for this is not entirely clear. Social support is no doubt part of the story. At the evangelical churches I’ve studied as an anthropologist, people really did seem to look out for one another. They showed up with dinner when friends were sick and sat to talk with them when they were unhappy. The help was sometimes surprisingly concrete. Perhaps a third of the church members belonged to small groups that met weekly to talk about the Bible and their lives. One evening, a young woman in a group I joined began to cry. Her dentist had told her that she needed a ,500 procedure, and she didn’t have the money. To my amazement, our small group — most of them students — simply covered the cost, by anonymous donation. A study conducted in North Carolina found that frequent churchgoers had larger social networks, with more contact with, more affection for, and more kinds of social support from those people than their unchurched counterparts. And we know that social support is directly tied to better health. Healthy behavior is no doubt another part. Certainly many churchgoers struggle with behaviors they would like to change, but on average, regular church attendees drink less, smoke less, use fewer recreational drugs and are less sexually promiscuous than others. That tallies with my own observations. At a church I studied in Southern California, the standard conversion story seemed to tell of finding God and never taking methamphetamine again. (One woman told me that while cooking her dose, she set off an explosion in her father’s apartment and blew out his sliding glass doors. She.
Journalist, critic, and memoirist, Thomas Larson is the author of three books, the most recent, The Sanctuary of Illness: A Memoir of Heart Disease. He is a longtime staff writer for the San Diego Reader and Book Reviews Editor for River Teeth. Larson teaches in the MFA Program at Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio. Recent essays and reviews are in Free Inquiry, The Humanist, Counterpunch, and Solstice.   Noah and his Ark after Charles Catton 1819 I Go to Church, Meet God on Film, and Find the Pastor’s Faith in the Word Lays Bare the Absence of Mine 1 / One day, in 2014, in midsummer, I drive by a church in my San Diego neighborhood: there’s an intriguing announcement on the little brick-monument marquee out front, the Sunday homiletic: “God on Film: Noah.” The new film, which I’ve seen—bewitchingly watchable and, at times, mawkishly funny—was created and directed by Darrin Aronofsky and stars Russell Crowe. I’m intrigued by a host of questions. What do Christians think about this movie’s representation of their faith or, at least, one of their defining legends, Noah and the flood? What does a movie based on the Bible do to the Bible? How do we read Scripture after seeing the film? How do we judge what the movie should be faithful to, especially if the Bible is deemed sacred, which, in this case, it has, and the film, to some degree, has desacralized the book via film? On Sunday, I go to the church, Northminster Presbyterian, I and about 80 people. A surprising turnout, I think. Are others as drawn to the topic as I am? It’s been ages since I’ve been in a church. My reasons are legion: not being—never been, in fact—a Christian is one. But, there’s a worse horror, which washes over me tsunami-like when I enter: The music. What most (white) churches feature these days is “praise music”: there is no misery on earth like the sound of piety. Here a.
Introduction: Warren Mueller examines many of the excuses why people don't go to church, and answers each with biblical and practical reasons in favor of going to church. Why Go To Church? Every Sunday many people go to church while others are sleeping or engaged in other weekend activities. Since our weekends are limited, should we spend part of it in church? Let's look at some of the popular reasons for not going first. Excuse: Church is boring. It is repetitious, predictable and a meaningless ritual. I would rather sleep in. I work hard all week and I deserve it! Answer: Church is repetitious but so is life. The days of our lives are structured around cycles of work, eating, family and recreation times. Any of these activities can become boring if we don't strive to find something interesting or enjoyable about them. Sunday mornings at church are a time to make new friends and renew old ones; to learn about the Bible and share problems as well as to thank God for another week of life. The objective in going to church is to seek to build our relationship with God and others. Many people go to church to fulfill an obligation through some ritual and so are reduced to actions without meaning. Church worship is all about an encounter with God and others that changes who we are. Not going to church on a Sunday morning because you deserve a sleep-in does not explain why you miss church on Saturday or Sunday night. The problem is much deeper than the time of the day - it is a matter of selfishness. Excuse: Why bother going to church when all they want is money!?Answer: If you choose to get involved in any kind of group, be it the PTA, Boy Scouts or whatever, it will cost you in time and money. It is true that, if you don't get involved in anything, you will have maximum control of your time and money. However, you will miss friendships and opportunities to be a good.
Enter Your Search Terms to Get Started! A different church Every person in this world belongs to a different culture within their society. We all have different values, beliefs, and norms that help build our culture. I recently had the opportunity to look further into the belief aspect of culture. When we think about cultural beliefs, the first thing that comes to mind is our religion. Religion truly represents what an individual believes in. On March 14th of this year, I attended a Methodist Church service. I am Catholic so it was quite an experience for me. I have been to a Community Church service before, but never a Methodist one. The church I attended over Spring Break was located in a small town inside Green Bay called Allouez. It was called the First United Methodist Church. When I first arrived, the outside of the church was a little different looking than most churches. Most churches have steeples, while this one is more flat top. It flourished with brown brick and stone sculptures on the outside walls. I could tell that most of the people who were attending the mass were middle to upper class individuals. There were generally a lot of nice cars in the parking lot, but most of the people had to park across the street in a business lot because the church lot was not big enough. The elderly and disabled take up most of the closer spots. I could see this by all of the Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs, and Buicks that were parked. After I parked I walked up the steps and into the lobby of the church. The lobby contained a big bulletin board held in a glass case. I am guessing that this served as the church bulletin, because there wasn’t any paper hand out bulletins. The bulletin board stated all the things that a regular church bulletin would. It identified the pastors and all other individuals that were to be involved in the coordination of the service. When I entered.