- In African homes, or at least in most African homes, the act of going to church is a tradition that is groomed in us from when we are at a tender age.
- My question is, is going to church a measure of your faith/belief?
My mum and I spent this year’s valentine’s day together in church.
We got to celebrate Ash Wednesday together and I noticed she was really happy.
We met after work and then proceeded to church.
We are Anglican and yes, we also celebrate Ash Wednesday.
But what does it mean, you may ask?
Ash Wednesday is a day celebrated by Christians that marks the beginning of lent; a six-week period of repentance and fasting.
It is a season that reminds Christians of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert and it is a time of giving up things as well as a test of self-discipline.
Ashes are applied on the forehead to serve as a reminder of our mortality.
I am not sure how others practice it but in our church, the leader; can be a reverend or provost or a member of the clergy, applies the ashes while speaking a blessing.
“Remember that you are dust (ashes) and to dust (ashes) you shall return.”
In African homes, or at least in most African homes, the act of going to church is a tradition that is groomed in us from when we are at a tender age.
Is going to church a measure of your faith/belief?
I often avoid having religion and/or spiritual conversations because it is one topic that really gets many people sensitive and if you are not careful enough, it might turn into something else.
I like going to church and on Sunday if I am not working or away from home, you will find me in church.
I think the peak moment for me being in church is singing in the choir but I dropped going for practice for a couple of reasons.
Either way, I enjoy signing along with them from the congregation side even though I have been encouraged a couple of times to come back.
It is worth-noting that our Anglican choir has some notable impactful history in our country and it is quite well known.
To me, the act has a lot of significance but off-late, I have been backsliding a lot.
Talking to my friends, I realised that they too are ardent church-goers but some feel indifferent to the idea of going to church but say they are spiritual.
My mum has been wondering why my twin sister and I have been ‘relenting,’ as she calls it, to go to church.
My elder sister on the other hand has made it a habit to take her children to Sunday school every other Sunday and my mum is always happy when her granddaughter narrates and sings bible verses to her.
However, she is not too happy with the choice of denomination as she raised us as Anglicans.
When I went with her on Wednesday, I felt like she felt some sense of relief that at least we haven’t neglected the idea of going to church.
I get why she would feel some certain type of way.
She was smiling ear-to-ear about that evening when we got to hear from the choir, heard from the word of God, to when ashes were applied on our foreheads and to even when we partook in the holy communion.
Which made me wonder why some young folks never like going to church.
The reasons are many and some might say I don’t have to go physically since it is streamed online while others will say, churches today cannot be trusted.
Some argue that going to church is meaningless if one can be connected to God in other ways and their faith is not shaken.
Others fail to go because due to physical reasons like illnesses, disease, exhaustion or chronic bodily pain.
As I said, there are many reasons.
But my question to you dear reader is, are we betraying the act of going to church?
What does going to church mean to you?