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Why Bother?

Why bother to go to church? Clearly many people choose not to worship, and they have a

variety of reasons for their choice. But if you are reading this, I assume that you do attend church services at least occasionally. Let me offer some ideas for you to chew on.

First, attending church allows you to make a witness to your faith. It acts as a statement

that you are a baptized believer who values a relationship with our Savior and Redeemer. I

suspect that this act represents one of the most effective ways you can testify to importance of

Christ in your life.

And it allows you to be part of a community of fellow believers. Most people long to be

part of something important and greater than themselves, and, moreover, they long to be in

contact with others of the same mind. As the cathedral parish enters a time of transition and

change, being together in prayer and fellowship will bless our community in many ways.

The Sunday liturgy consists of two parts, one of which is the Service of the Word. In the

reading of scripture, the sermon, and the personal reflections evoked thereby the Risen Christ

speaks to us. In what other setting does this dependably happen? How often have you been

shaped and formed by the scriptures and the teaching based on them?

The other part of the liturgy is the Service of Holy Communion. There the Risen Christ

makes himself available to us in the consecrated Bread and Wine so that he lives in us and we

live in him. Reception of the blessed Sacrament represents a major hallmark of Christian

discipleship and serves to anchor us in resurrectional life.

Church attendance empowers us for service in the name of Christ. It is like food for a

starving person and water to the desperately thirsty. And we leave after our encounter with the Risen One in worship ready to love and serve the Lord in our homes, work, and community.

My home church had two Latin sayings over the entrances into the building. There were

“Domus Dei” and “Porta Coeli.” They translate as House of God and Gate of Heaven. With my

ninth grade Latin I would read those mottos every week. And I realized that they were truth,

that what happened to me in Sunday worship make that event the House of God and the Gate of Heaven. I hope you do and will find that true for you, too.

Bishop Frank

October was first declared as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989. Since then, October has been a time to acknowledge domestic violence survivors and be a voice for its victims. Domestic violence is prevalent in every community, and affects all people regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger, systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. The devastating consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime.

RESOURCES

• LetsEndDV.org
• California Partnership to End Domestic Violence                         

           Office:(916.444.7163 https://www.cpedv.org 

• National Network to End Domestic Violence’s DVAM campaign and materials
• Inspiring Change: Planning for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Indian Country
• The Communications Team held a webinar where we shared the Partnership’s DVAM toolkit, resources available to you, and what other organizations are doing across the state in this webinar recording.
• Futures Without Violence
• Recursos en Español: https://espanol.thehotline.org/

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