Taking a break to or from Worship

During last night’s discussion in the book and Bible study of Speaking of Jesus some one remarked that almost everyone in the room had taken a break from church at some point in their life and come back.  A break measured in years, and decades.  Call me odd (Suzanne does) but the kind of break I took from church, was a few month.

Later that night I got to thinking about a Catholic friend of mine, Mark Hinkl who never missed a Sunday in worship.  This came up because he was on his honeymoon, and they went to church, not only the next morning but a week later when they were still honeymooning. 

“Really?!” I asked.

“Never missed a Sunday.”

“On Vacations?”

“Always Went.”

“On travel?,” we both worked at a research lab and travel was a part of the job.

“Took time for it.”

“Sick?”

“Went on Saturday night.”

Though I’ve lost touch with Mark, I have not forgotten that conversation, and it has challenged me to made attending worship a priority.  I mean its not that difficult when you are a pastor and work in the church, but even when we’re traveling and nobody is watching.  I like to go to worship, even if I’m alone because the rest of the family wants to sleep in, I go to worship, and in those moments maybe experience something different or disconnect from this world to connect with the next.  I like to go to worship, its taking a break to worship instead of from it.