Choosing a church to go to is a decision that is fundamentally not very different from lots of other decisions that we make in everyday life.  The consequences of making a bad decision on this one are pretty bad and pretty long lasting.  Frankly, most people choose a church to attend for all of the wrong reasons.

Lots of adults that I know make the choice about where to attend church based on what their children will like.  If families made their decisions about what to eat in that way we would all be grossly overweight from eating MacDonalds three meals a day.  Parents want their children to have a basic grounding in the scriptures, and they also want them to have a social circle of young people.  They want the church service to be lively and bouncy with an entertaining message and music that isn’t boring.  The adults who take their children to such a church almost invariably wind up being spiritually starved for the sake of their kids.  In the end, the message that the children get is that church is for kids and once they are grown up they no longer need it.  What a tragic lesson to be teaching our young people.

I believe that we should choose our churches the way that we choose our food.  Every family wants the entire family to be properly fed.  They want everyone to have a balanced diet appropriate for their station in life.  Some of us need to be on a strict diet for weight loss because we are fat from too much of some things and not enough of other things.  While others in the family need a diet designed to grow strong muscles and active minds.

Likewise, the family church should offer a balanced spiritual diet.  The scriptures tell us that some people who are spiritually immature will need mother’s milk, so to speak, while others will need the meat and vegetables that go with a more mature spiritual development.  Your local church should be able to offer what you need at any stage of your growth.  Yes, we need some uplifting occasions and we also need some deeply thoughtful ones.  Each of us will need opportunities to be of service to others, we will also all experience times when we must accept with gratitude the service rendered by others to us.  To give and to receive are both important steps on the spiritual path.

At Ascension and St. Mark’s we make every effort to provide a well balanced diet to meet the needs of every growing Christian.  We offer a steady diet of Word and Sacrament, of Prayer and Service, of Contemplation and Action so that each of our members is not only fed, but is also offered opportunities to be of service in the Kingdom.  Yes, when you come to Church, you should get something out of it, you also should have the opportunity to put something into it.

Most of you who are reading this are already members of ASM.  I hope that you find yourself challenged and encouraged in your personal spiritual walk.  Those of you who feel that something is lacking here will need to talk to me so that we can figure out what you need and be sure to get it for you.  It is not just my responsibility; we all have a responsibility for taking our place in the kingdom.  For those of you who are not members of ASM, we may not be the church for you, but then again we might be the fit that you never knew you could have.  Please feel free to contact me.  My door, and certainly the doors of the Church are always open for you.