I understand that--the impulse not to come on one's own. Church can be a scary place if you are living on the outside:
What are they up to in there?
Will I feel welcomed or rejected?
Do I have to measure up to some invisible standard?
Do I have to look or dress a certain way?Walking into a Kohl's or Starbucks rarely generates such anxiety, perhaps because the pathways of expectations are already formed for retail and food service outlets. We can fairly predict what those experiences might entail.
Walking into a particular church is a complete unknown.
Depending on our personal history with church, the pathway of expectation that runs through our brains could generate fear, hurt and rejection or conversely, joy, relief and anticipation.
Then there's the habit thing. Though research doesn't specifically support the idea that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, there is plenty of evidence to back up the idea that habits form pathways through the brain that make it easier to sustain a certain course or set of behaviors.
Wonder how many Sundays it takes to form a church habit. And is church even worth the habit?
Anthropologist T.M. Luhrmann writes:
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.This sounds like yes, church may very well be worth the habit. It may even improve our health and extend our life.
We know the power of good habits. We understand the need for improved health.
Here's the invite to risk the unknown on National Back to Church Sunday. The life we improve might be our own.
T.M. Luhrmann, The Benefits of Church.
Comments are welcome at feedyourstrength@gmail.com.
