Recently I was asked why I went to church. At first thought, I didn't really know how to respond. After growing up in the church, it seemed like an obvious answer to me....why does anyone go to church? But then I realized that's what fosters a false image of the church to begin with, when people make assumptions and judgements about a church. Assuming an obvious answer is a detriment to everyone at this point, I think. It causes not only people to make generalizations but makes me latch on to other people's reasons behind going to church instead of making it personal and coming up with my own answer. My first reaction was, to learn about and worship God, of course. ...but like I said, that is such the obvious and churchy answer. It got me thinking, why DO I go to church? This question was asked in a discussion about religion and why it is needed, or important, and how there can be substitutes for church, but after some thinking, I'd like to share why for me, there can't be and it is an inelastic good I can't live without.
After standing there a second, all that came to my mind was love. I know it sounds selfish of me, but the amount of love I feel when I go to church....and really Mosaic most specifically, honestly, is where I feel most loved. It is impossible for me to go into Mosaic with a bad attitude and keep it the whole time. You go there and are reminded time and time again after song, after someone comes up to talk, in the message, in another song, God cares about and loves us.
I've written before about Mosaic's music, but this blog post wouldn't be complete if I didn't at least mention it. I could go one Sunday and sing worship songs for an hour and be perfectly content with life. I believe we were created to be loved, I think that is the reason God made us and why that is when i feel most whole; but I also believe we were made to worship God, and so when i'm doing that, nothing else really matters. Anything else that is going on in the world around me suddenly stops, it's like God puts the world on hold just for the small amount of time i'm wrapped up in music and singing and I could stay there forever.
I go to Mosaic to learn, to be a better person, to grow my relationship not only with God but how I relate to other people. It seems like every new series we do is my new favorite. Right now we are doing a series on happiness called life in color, and I could swear its been my favorite and so great so far....but right before this series we did another one called Free...learning to free not only ourselves but other people. That was also my favorite and I never wanted it to end. I have some sermon notes that I was going to share with you, but then I would just want to share every single sermon and this would turn into a novel and then...well, I feel ya. I'll just instead say that these are powerful messages and lessons to learn. In the conversation that spurred this blog, it was mentioned...'if church is a place where you learn about the bible, why can't i just do that on my own and from the comfort of my room, why do i have to have someone preaching to me how to live my life.' And that is a valid point, but these messages and services...it is so much more than what I could take out of it by myself. (And also I am a terrible Christian in that I don't read my bible...which i know i should change, but that'll be a lesson for another day) This week we focused on openness, last week was idealism and before that craziness. I'm not at the point where I can motivate and preach to myself these things, and to be honest, when someone thinks they are, they need to go back to Corinthians or whichever books of the bible where the first churches were being formed and realize that is why we have pastors and churches in the first place. But I digress.
Not to sound too religiousy, but going to this place, it changes people's lives. A couple weeks ago when I was at a Midweek, the speaker asked who had found freedom in this place? Noise soon followed, then varying levels of cheers when he kept going: healing, God, happiness...(and i'm sure some other words that I have since forgotten) As I was sitting there with these words being said and people's reaction to them, it is no secret that special things happen in this place. One Sunday (or Wednesday) when they were doing baptisms, a girl was speaking about her experience...how she had said she was never going to get baptized and how silly people look for it. Then she started going to Mosaic...and I love the quote she said, "The broken pieces in my life began to heal." As much as I try to put it into words, express how great a love there is...I just can't do it justice. There is no way to try to talk someone into understanding a feeling that they didn't even know they could feel.
I know churches and being religious and believing in God might sound like a mildly terrifying thing to a good amount of people I now surround myself with...especially being in LA...so I try to walk this line with as much grace as i can, but at the same time, I ache for every single person in this city to feel the same way I do when i'm at Mosaic. I want everyone to feel as whole, as loved, as free, as cared for, as happy as I am. It makes me sad that other churches or religious people or institutions or a political party, or whatever, has turned so many people away from the church, because I think there is a whole new church growing up and breaking the stereotypes set by previous generations and I think the world is ready for it. I also think that some of us believers are sometimes even hesitant and resistant to even say we are so because we are still afraid of how people might judge us based on what the church has created for itself until this point...what has given it such a bad wrap with so many people. But what if this new church, this other group of believers weren't afraid to speak up, weren't afraid to take ownership of their faith and put a new face to Christianity......Christ. Not a pew full of judgmental people. Not people who care more about laws and sins and people's pasts or how much money they have and what economic status they are in and what they look like and who they love. No. It should be about the only thing that ever mattered, love. Mosaic recently added a new 5th service time on Sundays. The Wednesday that followed, someone mentioned that made Mosaic’s count that Sunday 3200. It is growing more and more every Sunday and that is all the reason. Mosaic is ready to step up to be this Church that the world is looking for, that the world needs. It is a place with a little more love, and a little more compassion, and I think the world is starting to notice. And I think it’s time for me to start getting more involved, cause I am ready…...or as we at Mosaic like to say, I’m all in.
