Why do people attend worship services?
The Rev. Duke Tufty, Unity Temple on the Plaza, Kansas City, Mo.: Motivations for attending worship services are many and quite diverse.
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When religion adopted the concept of hell, fear became a primary motivation to go to church. Religious leaders used graphic and tortuous imagery such as fire, boiling water and bitter cold to describe hell. The people were warned they would be thrown into a pit full of worms or boiling oil if they didn't attend church and do what the leaders said. One Scripture reads, "They will go to hell, and when they come out they will be degraded into a jackal with lean cheeks. People will hate them and throw stones at their black and blue sores."
Even though these fabricated stories defy a sound mind and common sense, nevertheless they did motivate many to go to church, just in case.
Moving past the superstitions and myths of hell, a more realistic motivation for attending worship services is to become a part of a spiritual community. Human beings are social creatures. What we really want more than anything else are connections. We love to be in an uplifting environment with other people. Joining a group that meets just once a month produces the same increase in happiness as doubling one's income.
► The Rev. Pat Rush, pastor, Visitation Catholic Church, Kansas City, Mo.: At a recent breakfast conversation with a Protestant pastor friend, I learned that his church video-streams its Sunday worship service, and a sizable number of congregants watch it online, either at home or while on vacation. I said that wouldn't work well for Catholics who were not homebound because receiving Eucharist is such an important part of our Sunday worship. Another friend at the table said it wouldn't work for him because he wants to be part of a community when he worships.
People's motives for attending worship services probably are as varied as the people themselves. Certainly a sense of obligation and responsibility to worship God in accord with the teachings of their religious community is a prominent motive. But in addition to that, people attend worship services because of the Eucharist, because of the community, because of the music, because of the preaching, because of the presider, because of the venue and environment, to name only a few reasons.
Sometimes people attend to pray about a particular need they have or challenge they are facing in their lives. Sometimes people attend to give thanks for some favor received.
People attend worship services because they want to spend time with God, hear God's word connected to the circumstances of their lives and, in the case of sacramental churches, share the Eucharist, all of this in community.
Does life have a meaning and if so, what purpose do humans serve in it?
► The Rev. Holly McKiss
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