In honor of Easter, I listened to a Lutheran service on AM radio yesterday. During his sermon, the priest said, "This is why we gather here, right? Because Christ has risen from the dead. Isn't that why you're here? Maybe, not all of us are here for that. Maybe you just came 'cause your parents made you or your spouse made you..."
I don't think I've heard another sermon that confronted the issue of showing up for church "just because" so directly. Regardless of a person's belief system or absence of one, hearing an Easter service gives me peace of mind and reminds me that we're all part of a world larger than any one of us. I think that's a good enough reason to listen to a service or Mass, at least occasionally.
