Luke 2:40-52 “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s House?” The assigned Gospel Lesson for this first Sunday of the New Year is about Jesus going to the Temple in Jerusalem.  It struck me . . .  as going to “Church” (By “Church” I mean the building where there is a formal worship service and other people),  can be one of the biggest obstacles to a person’s spiritual health. Isn’t that ironic?  The very place Luke places Jesus in the beginning of his Gospel, and the very place that is intended to provide connection with God is the very place many people won’t go to “find” Jesus, but where they have found rejection. That rejection could come from the teachings claimed by the specific congregation or denomination.  Who is or isn’t allowed to take communion, whether a woman can be a pastor, and whether a person who has committed some grievous “sin” (defined according to the perceptions of the people who consider themselves above and beyond sin and are making the rules) is worthy of being welcomed. The stumbling block could also come from the pastor.  The way in which he or she interacts with others, the style of preaching, the way in which they carry out their professional duties all play a huge part in whether people will stick around at the church.  I confess that I did my share of driving people out of the doors of the church when I was a pastor with my spiritual arrogance and self-righteousness. Sometimes it’s the other people who attend who one finds offensive.  The perception that is popular in the public realm of Christians being hypocrites is well-deserved.  I have a good friend, Britt, who said that she most enjoys going to church when no one else is there.  Think about that.  I’m sure there are many more reasons that could be given why people don’t attend church, but in my opinion those are the main ones. It’s not surprising that so many people today describe themselves as “spiritual” but not religious. Or that they don’t believe in “organized religion”.  As one who has been on the inside I can attest to the fact that religion is very DIS-organized! I could give countless illustrations and tell innumerable stories about people I’ve known who have stopped going to church and the reasons for doing so.  I could include some of my own.  And yet there is something that seems to draw us back to those places built by human hands that have been designated as sacred. Perhaps it is the beauty of the architecture.  It could be simple, like the little stone church outside of Longmont that was built by Swedish settlers in the 1800’s.  Or it could be ornate like one of the great cathedrals in Europe.  Maybe it is a more modern structure—though I personally find that more unlikely. Perhaps it’s the aesthetic beauty one finds within, whether the stained glass or the art work or the music that is played and performed. Perhaps it is the desire for community.  That’s a big one!  Especially in a culture that is becoming ever more isolated and individualistic.  There is an innate desire that humans have to be in contact with others in some meaningful spiritual way. Perhaps it is the desire to have a venue in which to practice “acts of righteousness”.  I have found that to be a common thread that runs through churches of all beliefs—the need to be in service to others. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the reason that Jesus gives:  “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”   It’s strange, isn’t it, that Jesus has some type of compulsion at an early age to be at what was “church” for Him?  Yes, He was growing in wisdom as He sat with the teachers—whom were amazed at Jesus’ abilities.  But it was more than that.  The question is what “that” was?  Throughout His life Jesus was found in synagogues and at the Temple, even though these places were often-times the settings for disagreements, division and eventually partially responsible for His death.  “Curiouser and Curiouser”–To steal a line from “Alice in Wonderland”. Or maybe not.  Maybe Jesus, full of the Spirit, was compelled by that Spirit—the same one that inhabits us—to seek out a sacred space where God can be found.  Note, I wrote CAN, not IS.  There is a difference. I am the first to admit that there are many ways that people can find God, and many places outside of church buildings where sacred communion can occur.  But one simply cannot dismiss or disregard the truth that God can and frequently does dwell among people in the place we recognize as “church”. There are many meaningful moments that I’ve experienced in church, many wonderful people that I’ve met there—including The Father. I’m guessing there are for you as well.  So I’m going to stop here so that perhaps we can ponder and appreciate those moments—and maybe even open ourselves to more in the future.  Besides, I’ve decided that I’m going to church.