Why was I born? Why is there grass, trees and water? Why do I have parents, children, or spouse? Why is there a Bible? Why do we have laws? Why is there the Church? Why is there death? Why does God promise us a day of resurrection?

We may think of all kinds of answers to any one of these questions, but there is one answer that can be applied to all of these and that is, simply, “Because God loves you!” Indeed, so much of life revolves around that one amazing answer. Can we truly exist without God’s love? Is life possible apart from God’s redeeming power? If we have consciously experienced anything of God’s great love, then we would probably say “No, we can’t, there isn’t,” and yet, how often we live our lives, day to day as if God’s love was not much of a factor in it all.

Too much of the time we even try to live our lives apart from God’s love. We put on the blinders, and try not to notice the very real, living presence of this one we call Father-Creator. We don’t seem to mind seeking after that divine love when it’s on our own terms or in our own interests, but we don’t really want him seeking after us. But, because God does love us, he does come seeking after us. He wants to ever let us know who he is and what he is doing and that he truly does love us. God wants to give us what he is — love.

God chose to let us know about his seeking and saving love through his Word, through his prophets, and miraculously, through his own son, Jesus the Christ; what we call the Gospel. This Gospel, this good news, is God’s love, forgiveness, life and salvation brought to us, bestowed upon us, in and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Yet, how often we run away from that love, or hide from it. How often we reject that opportunity to have God’s love come to us, confront us, do vital business with us, and awaken us to how all our wants and needs can be met in him. We run or we hide when we become so centered on “me,” that we don’t really want to see or listen to anything else — not God, not he needs of spouse, children, family, or neighbor; nothing but me. We run when we turn away from hearing God’s word.

We can be reading that Word Every day, but not really listening to it. Jesus said a lot more about listening than he did reading; he said “You who have ears to hear, truly hear.” We run when we turn away from and disregard the church and our gathering for worship, Word and Sacrament. The church building is meant to be a sign to us of God’s love and presence in our midst; here is a gathering place for all God’s people; here is a place to refuge and strength and hope; here is where love can be given and received, in Jesus’ name, through that worship and fellowship. In worship, as in life itself, one must learn to give of oneself to another, and in the giving one receives. As we offer our love to God through our worship of praise and thanksgiving, we find ourselves receiving the word of his love and the touch of his love, which in turn recharges us and strengthens us for our loving service to family, friend and stranger.

How sad it is when opportunities come for gathering in worship, whether on a Sunday or a weekday, and we just walk or drive on by. How regrettable when we can only think of that time and gathering for worship as a law, an ought, that must painfully be endured for some sort of heavenly lollipop, or as something to be ignored, or of no account, because “I just don’t get anything out of it.” Ah, but our worship is really no different than what we see and do in our weekly world; that is, if there is nothing invested, there is nothing to gain.

Yes, avoiding or not really caring much about our times of worship is a sign of our hiding from, running away from, or not even caring about God’s great love for us. But there can be other signs and symptoms as well, such as hatred, guilt, anxiety, fear of relationships, etc. Such things as these may center on questions like, “Why am I afraid to say “I love you?” or “Why am I afraid to tell you who I am?”

As we head into this colorful season of fall, with its signs of the changing of the seasons, and as we get in the groove of new or returning programs and events, please don’t neglect your times of worship and fellowship in the church – the family of God. Let us make the investment of ourselves, our time, our possessions, and our praise and thanks, for the sake of the gospel, and as a true remembrance that it is because God loves us.