Why do I need a list of reasons to go to church vs. watch on Livestream? I am a member of Cathedral of Praise, aka “Cathedral”, in North Charleston, South Carolina. You can watch Cathedral’s 11:00 am service online at livestream.com/CATHEDRALLIVESTREAM/SundayMorning. My granddaughter was born 2 years ago. My husband and I shared custody of her with her other grandmother for over a year. During that time, she was frequently with us on Sundays.
I began watching Cathedral Livestream rather than trying to get her and I ready for church–she was usually napping at about that time. She goes to Cathedral’s pre-school, so I didn’t really feel she was missing anything by not going to “church” as an infant. She is usually at her other grandmother’s house on Sundays now, but I have gotten so attached to watching church online–“pajama church” is what some of us call it.
A few weeks ago, the Holy Spirit had a talk with me about going to church. At that time I was listening to church online, but I was multi-tasking–doing other things at the same time that I was listening to the service. He called me out on it and helped me realize that I needed to physically go to church. I live less than a mile from church, so it really doesn’t even take me much more time to go to church vs. watching it at home. I knew that I needed to give God my undivided attention and get back to church where I could do that.
Last weekend was supposed to be my first weekend back to church, but our service was cancelled because of Hurricane Matthew. So, today was my first day back. I am so glad that the Holy Spirit had a talk with me and that I chose to listen.
What I realized today in church:
(Reasons to go to church vs. watch on Livestream)
- I can not get the atmosphere that is in the church at my house on livestream. There is something about a group of people gathered together worshipping and praising together in person.
- The music doesn’t sound as good through livestream at home as it does in person. It is one of those things like trying to take a picture of a sunrise–you can’t capture the moment in a picture–the picture doesn’t capture the beauty that you actually see with your eyes in person.
- There are people at church that God randomly has me pray for–some that I know and some that I don’t. If I’m not at church, God isn’t having me pray for them. (He does have me pray for people that I know even if I’m not at church.) Sometimes, if I am at church, I may see or hear people reacting to the message and I’m prompted to pray for them. That doesn’t happen when I am watching at home.
- Today, Pastor Mike had a special word for Singles and recognized the singles that were there. I realized that I was sitting between two single women and I know that God will have me praying for them this week. If I hadn’t gone to church, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to know that there were these two ladies that God would like me to pray for.
- I have called Cathedral my home church since 1993. It is nice to go to church and see familiar faces–even if you are only able to share a smile from across the room. Sometimes you may have a few minutes to catch up with them a little bit or enough time at least for a quick hug.
- Although I didn’t get one today, at church I can get some awesome coffee, frappes, and lattes that I can’t make at my house. 🙂
I’m sure there are many other things that I may not have recognized today. I will add to the list as they come to me. This is just where I am with going to church vs. watching it on livestream. I am so thankful that I had the option to watch livestream these past two years and I will surely have times in the future that I will watch it, but I plan to physically attend church as much as possible.