The Purpose of a Church

For the longest period of time, I believed that the purpose of a church, or spiritual gathering place, was to give the congregation their fill of spirit...of God.....of love. However, my beliefs over the years have changed radically, and in this sense , I find myself creating a whole new set of beliefs.

If the congregation depends on the church to "feed " them spiritually, to give them all that they need from a religious or spiritual sense, it creates dependency. In this case, the people would believe that they cannot find a way to get this fulfillment, that they "need" the church, and many churches may like this type of dependency.

I believe that the churches of today should be the gathering place where people get their spiritual "appetizer", enough thought provoking information and joy to wet the appetite, but not fill them up.

In this case everyone stays empowered, as the church encourages the people to go out in the world to find their meal, and to know they are welcome back each week to help instill more questions, not just answers.

As congregations from around the world realize that the "real" spiritual work is done in their daily lives, not just on Sundays, the church remains as a sacred place, but not a place where the powerful rule.

Slow down. Enjoy the nib lets offered at your services, then find the rest of your path in your own divine life, in your private readings, and your sacred alone time with God, Spirit, Energy.

Love, peace David Essel