Four Words I Use to Justify My Position Regarding Church Attendance

I have not been to a Sunday worship service in a local church for over three years. After being born into a Baptist preacher's home, going to church at least four times a week, following a call into full-time ordained Christian ministry, serving professionally (and personally) in six different churches in five states for 25 years, I left. And people (including me) wondered if I was not only alright, but if I was still a Christian.

And yet as I write this, I am more firmly convinced than ever of my spiritual status in Christ Jesus. Over these last few years I have prayerfully and thoughtfully tried to articulate why it is better for me to not go to church than to go. I feel like I've been able to identify some concrete reasons that for me, it is better to follow Jesus outside the institutional walls of a church than maintaining a membership within them.

I currently have identified four words that succinctly describe the areas that for me, affirm my position:

• Money
• Ministry
• Freedom
• Community

I will offer a brief explanation of each of these in separate installations so as not to make this blog a tome.