For the last five years (almost all of our married life), my husband Adam’s schedule has not allowed for us to regularly attend church together. He never had a Sunday off unless he took it as vacation.
Our first morning off together every week was Monday. Mondays were awful. We spent the day feeling out-of-whack. Even after years of this schedule, it never felt natural or even comfortable. Generally, the day would not pass without us finding some reason to fight. I dreaded our weekends. Then something changed.
He was finally granted a schedule with Sundays off. Easter Sunday this year was the start of this new schedule for us, and the beginning of us being able to attend church as a family. Every week! This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was a day we’d been praying for.
I was thrilled to realize that, after a couple weeks of the new routine, we were no longer at each other’s throats for Adam’s first day off. Being in God’s house centers us. It brings us back to our foundation — our marriage began in church, and that’s where it will flourish. (Okay, our marriage began on the beach, with a pastor. Maybe we’d be even more “centered” on the beach! Amen to that.)
Sure, we have our arguments like any couple, but I can no longer set my watch by the timing of our Monday morning mayhem. We are spending more time enjoying each other.
I’ve heard it said over and over that attending church together is hugely important to a marriage, and I believed it, but I never knew it made such a difference. Communion with God begets communion with our fellow man. When we start our time together by pursuing God as a couple, everything just makes sense.
Have you been there? Can you tell a difference when you miss church?
vera
I’ve never thought about the difference in attending together, since we almost always do, but I do hate it when we miss church, it throws me all off. Ive also noticed a pattern over the years, if there’s a time when my walk with God isn’t as close, as rich, then my relationship with my husband is the same. It’s like God has put a filter there for me and he keeps my earthly love from getting higher than my heavenly love.
Sarah
The filter thought makes sense! Thanks Vera!
Jeffrey
Every morning my wife and I enjoy a short devotional (Jesus Calling) while enjoying our morning coffee. As for missing church, we seldom do and yes, it DOES make a marked difference in our day-to-day activities when we do. We are blessed that we are now able to attend together but it wasn’t many years ago that we were often unable to do that because of my airline career.
Sarah
We’ve talked about doing a devo together… I’ll look into that one! Thanks for reading, Jeffrey! :)
Renee Toth
When we married (35 years ago this coming SEPT) I turned Catholic not because I thought that was the “better ” religion. I did it because I wanted our family down the road to worship together and even though I had attended church occasionally my whole life I knew my hubby’s faith was strong. Also back in the 70’s usually the Catholic parents has “more of a say in which religion future children would be brought up”. I believe in God and all I know is feels good when we worship together. I’m sad my children are both agnostic and my 1st grandchild has not been baptized. But maybe someday my girls will find there way back to the faith!
Sarah
Hey Renee. My husband and I grew up in different churches as well. When we were engaged, he left his for mine for the same reasons you’ve mentioned. It feels so whole, being unified on that front. :)
Kaila
Our life is a little different. When we started going to church together it was really weird. Maybe it was just the church that we were going to. I had gone there for a long time and then moved away. Then when we came back as a couple it was very akward. We ended up feeling uncomfortable but in the end moved to a different state. We started going to a church but I think that the feelings that my husband and I felt at the previous church put a bad taste in our mouth. I am still trying to figure out exactly what to do. My husband wasn’t raised in church per say. I on the other hand was. We often didn’t go to church because of my health and I would say I have a great relationship with God. I pursued God hard. But I felt like I was pursuing him for answers instead of trying to put him in the center of our lives and praising him. I became angry with God because I felt like I was robbed by a death in the family and couldn’t make sense of it. Why her? Why now? I still am working on realizing that we are fighting a war against the principalities of darkness. I KNOW we need to get back into going to church and God being the center of our marriage. How do I do that when everytime I go to church all I can do is cry?! Every church I went to my Parents were either the senior pastors or head associates? So going to a church where they are not just brings back the feeling of losing my best friend and Mom. Thanks for writing this Sarah, it definately makes me think.
Sarah
Oh, Kaila, that sounds like a hard situation. So many things in life are not as cut-and-dry as we might think. I hope you find a church that can truly be “home,” for you and your boys. <3
agree with
Baptism Quotes – Baptism is after conversion rather than a saving ordinance, but an external sign of an inward work. Baptism is not optional for the believer, however a command of our Master to be obeyed. Right before Jesus returned to paradise, He instructed His followers to preach the gospel to all individuals and also to baptize christians. Baptism is a sign to everyone watching that he or she’s accepted Christ as Savior and which he or she plans to stay to please Him and obey Christ. Everybody who is remorseful for their sins, repents, and believes in Christ as Savior should be baptized. When a person is preserved and comprehends what baptism means, he or she needs to be baptized. As cited from the Holy Bible.