Being with God in the woods

I was visiting some very dear friends on our way back from vacation. In conversation, I found that he doesn’t go to church anymore. He sends his wife and son, but he doesn’t go.

He claims a real faith, and is a very humble and gentle person, but said that he would much rather go out into the woods and be with God there than in a church. I’ve heard this argument before. In fact, I hear it quite often.

Time alone with God is important. If you find that time alone with God in the woods, great! Go for it! Jesus took time to get away, to go into the wilderness, or up on a mountain, to pray and to be alone with God. That quite time with just you and God is incredibly important.

But Jesus also went to Synagogue every Sabbath. He worshipped God, and listened, and often even taught. But it was very important for Him to go, to be there in the midst of other faithful believers. It’s important for us to be there, too! We are called into a fellowship of believers – and you can’t be in a fellowship by yourself. You can’t be a part of the body of Christ, apart from the body of Christ! We are called to be a part of a very unique community of faith.

Another argument I hear quite often about going to church is that ‘church folk’ are hypocrites. We say all these great things about what we should do and how we should act – but we don’t always do these things, or act that way ourselves. Sadly, sometimes this is true. But that’s why we need to be together as the body of Christ. That’s why we’re called together as a family of believers. None of us is perfect in our faith. All of us have some room for improvement in our Christian walk. And we learn from each other.

The Bible uses the illustration of iron sharpening iron. In the same way, we sharpen each other. We encourage and support and lift each other in a way that nothing else can. An hour in the woods may lift our spirits, but we aren’t encouraged and comforted by that time alone like we could be in a caring church environment.

Not all churches are good at this. If you don’t feel encouraged by the people there, comforted when you’re down, lifted up after spending time with your church family, then maybe that’s not the church for you. The laity of the church should be every bit as welcoming and caring as the pastor of the church. If you don’t feel that way, maybe that’s not the church for you.

My friend has gone through some terrible tragedy, and at first his church family was wonderful and supported them very much. But as it dragged on and even got worse, they began avoiding him. He didn’t feel the support from having a caring church family. And now, a couple of years later, even though he’s moved to a different city, he is still avoiding church. Because when he really needed them the most they weren’t there for him. Maybe that just wasn’t the right church for him.

If you have strayed from church attendance, I encourage you go back. Find a church where you are welcomed, comforted, and encouraged, yet is true to the Word of God. I assure you that it will make a difference in your life that an hour an in the woods just can’t!