The Journal asked J. Thomas Black, a frequent contributor, to comment on the relationship of churchgoing to the pursuit of spirituality.
Recently friends were visiting from out of town. They go to church regularly but had never attended our services. They leapt at our invitation. I thought they were just being gracious guests. But when we invited them to brunch after the service, they said: "We've already been nourished. We hadn't been to church in weeks because of our travel. We were feeling a deep hunger for the word of God."
Such hunger is universal, though people might not always admit or recognize it. Christ Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matt. 5: 6. While more and more people may yearn for spirituality, many don't feel a need to attend church, as our friends did. In fact, many see no connection between churchgoing and spirituality. Some even feel that organized religious services detract from their spiritual satisfaction.
