Why I Love Organized Religion

You hear a lot of negative things about the church but there are plenty of good things to be said for a group of people who long to do good works and be holy. I’ve been part of three different churches in my life (one Episcopalian, one Quaker and one Methodist) and although they all had “issues,” I grew in each one. 

Although the Jewish religion at the time of Christ was riddled with problems, Jesus, who NEVER sinned, felt it was important to gather with believers in the synagogue(Luke 4:16). I believe that’s a pretty good example to follow. :)

So here are a few reasons I love organized religion.

• The Love – it is the glue that holds the church (and me) together
• The support – when I’m in a jam there are people who are there to help me
• The opportunity to do good works – to make our community a better place to live
• The Disaster relief – when something like a devastating typhoon or hurricane occurs  anywhere in the world there is a way for you to help, either money wise or even a mission trip
• The socialization – God’s people are a built in family for those moving from far away
• The teaching about God’s Word – no matter how well you know the Bible you can always learn more and grow
• The Encouragement – God’s people are like a group of cheerleaders helping you to overcome life’s issues
• The humor – God’s people make me laugh
• It spurs you on to be a better you – growing is a good thing and we all could be better
• The acceptance – God’s people accept me for who I am, though I am far from perfect
• The prayer power – I have seen unbelievable answers to prayer through the church
•  The advice – sometimes you just need a listening ear and a fresh idea to handle an old issue
• The Worship – I love to sing!
• It helps you to grow positive kids in a negative world – a child who hears a sermon once a week all their life is probably better able to handle temptation than one who doesn’t

How about you? What are your reasons for loving organized religion?

If you've had a negative experience with a church it might have been a "bad fit." AND there are very bad churches like Westboro Baptist that are a bad fit for anyone wanting to live a life of love. Don't stop looking - seek the right fit.