Do Christians Have to Go to Church?

Let's get something straight: as Christians, we're not necessarily called to go to church. We're called to be the church. Church isn't somewhere you go. It's something you are, and it's something you experience. Embrace church wherever you find it. If you find church in a building, fine. If you don't, fine. Ultimately, you don't need other people to tell you who you are.  While church attendance can be beneficial, there are seasons in a person's life that warrant a break from organized religion. For many people who are recovering from illness or abuse, attending church is simply not feasible. Also, some people are "between churches" due to moving or some other circumstance, and we cannot reasonably expect them to commit to one church right away. Church should never be used as a weapon against people who are in sensitive situations. 

Christianity is so much more than church membership. To be a Christian is to follow Jesus, even if you've never heard about him. One of my friends grew up in a fundamentalist church where, quite frankly, she was sold a counterfeit Jesus. To this day, many of those beliefs are still with her, and yet something enables her to rise above her theology. She believes that most people are doomed to hell, yet she chooses to treat them with more grace, mercy, and kindness than her version of God would ever give them. Even though she doesn't believe in Ultimate Hope, she is able to live in it. Despite her theology, she holds onto the idea of something more, something beyond herself. Following Jesus means trusting in that something, feeling it, knowing it, and acting on it—even if we can't fully understand it. That's why my friend is a better testimony to God's love than I ever will be. It takes faith to act on something you believe, but it takes even more faith to act on something you don't believe, something you were taught to reject with every fiber of your being and yet you can't help but embrace it. 

I may be a Christian, but that doesn't mean I have to be a stereotype. I don't believe that a literal, actual devil figure can influence people's thoughts. Nor do I believe that a loving God would roast people like marshmallows for enjoying ourselves on earth. Sin nature is a myth. Our struggles are not a byproduct of "the curse" or "the fall." I am not cursed, and neither are you. You don't need to be born again; you were born alright the first time. I'm not going to tell you that you're inherently evil or that you should always put yourself last. Christianity isn't about punishment and martyrdom. It was never about the crucifixion. It's about the resurrection. Through the resurrection, Jesus overcame death and suffering once and for all. He wasn't being punished for all the rules we broke. He was showing us a new way of living, a new way of being. 

When it comes to church, we're missing the point. Jesus was born in a stable, not in a palace. He spent his life as a carpenter, not as a high priest in a fancy temple. The story of Christianity is the story of underdogs. Yes, God is the ruler of the universe, the creator of galaxies, and the supreme rational being. But he is also the God of unlikely heroes, unconventional saints, and unconditional love. The moment we try to pin God down is the moment we forget who God is. God will not be confined to a church building. Human history is the story of humanity trying to put limits on God's love, and God choosing to break down those walls every. single. time. 

So no, you don't have to join a building called "church" in order to be part of the body of Christ. In fact, you don't have to do anything at all. You simply have to be yourself, and that will be good enough.