by Christa von Zychlin

One of the first arguments my husband and I had in the early months of our marriage was over whether to go to church one fine summer day. We were both seminary students at the time, and almost every Sunday one or the other of us (if not both) had an assigned duty. But we were both free that particular morning, and it was a exquisite summer day.

"Why wouldn’t we go to church?" my husband asked, incredulous at my plans for sleeping in and then heading off to the beach.

Since we both worked at churches, my first reaction was: "Why would we go to church on our day off? Isn’t sleeping in and enjoying God’s good gift of creation exactly what God created summer weekends for?"

For my part, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to see what the "rest of the world" experiences on summer Sundays — succulent fruit and fresh-brewed coffee with the Sunday paper, swimsuit and flip-flops. In short, leisure, that’s what it’s all about.

"Human beings weren’t made for the sabbath; the sabbath was made for human beings!" I piously quoted from Mark 2 to my husband.

"Do not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some," he quickly shot back from Hebrews 10. (Nothing like a squabble between seminarians.)

As I recall, he ended up going off to services (with more than a hint of self-righteousness) and I ended up reading the newspaper and feeling self–righteous myself — and a little bit bored.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and here I am, a parish pastor, standing in front of the half–empty pews in June, thinking, "Hey, what happened to ‘Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy’? Don’t people know they can hit the beach after a rousing Sunday worship service? Where’s your commitment? Where’s your responsibility to the rest of the faith community? Where’s your desire to grow in faith and be a good example for the kids?"

And then I remember the leisurely bride that I was, and my indignation gives way to a sheepish grin.

"Good morning, and welcome to this service of worship," I say, glad to see that the church isn’t half empty — it’s half full.

Every church I’ve been part of has its own unique reason for low summer worship numbers. In the rural community of my first parish, it was the many part–time farmers struggling to hold down a regular job during the week, while doing farm work on the weekends. In the university town of my second parish, it was the summer academic exodus, where the town numbers were literally cut in half. In my current home in the lake country of Wisconsin, the reasons are boating, fishing, and outdoor recreation.

In each of my parishes, I’ve also had at least one active church family who comes to me just before Memorial Day to wish me a good summer and tell me they’ll see me again in the fall. "Oh, are you leaving town?" I ask. "No," they answer without remorse, "it’s just that we don’t attend church in summer."

My own words come back to haunt me: "So why would we go to church on our day off?"

Whichever side of the "self-righteous" camp you might fall in, here, complete with scriptural quotes, are a few reasons from this parish pastor for participating in regular worship even in the summertime:

Because God said so. "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). This is the only one of the Ten Commandments that Christian people openly take pride in breaking. So often we recount our weekend activities, and they don’t in any way include the sense of a day — or even a few hours — in which we have "set apart" (the meaning of holy) time to honor the Lord of the universe. This word from God really is one of the basic commandments, and God has God’s reasons for including it in the top 10.

Because it gives you the perfect excuse for taking it easy. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work" (Exodus 20:9–10). One day a week, a worship commitment gives you the perfect excuse not to run errands for your mom, not to plan a family activity with your in–laws, and not to drive your daughter to the mall. You’re attending church, for heaven’s sake, and anybody is welcome to come with you. Errands can wait, because God says they can.

Because it enlarges your world. "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some" (Hebrews 10:24–25). Worship gives you a chance to be reminded of others besides yourself and your own family. Maybe you will be asked to contribute to a youth trip or a Christian camp for special–needs families. In many churches, summer is the time when kids from Vacation Bible School might help lead worship or missionaries come to share fascinating stories of "God moments" in far–off corners of the global church.

Because lesser numbers don’t mean a lesser God. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20). Jesus demands no quorum for his appearance among us at church. The senior choir may be on hiatus and your favorite preacher on vacation, but you might have a chance to go over and share the peace with old neighbor Tom whom you don’t always see in the busyness of the regular church year, or maybe with Amanda, home from her first year at college.

Because worship refreshes your soul in more ways than one. "Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath’" (Mark 2:27). Just think, by going to church you get to look at fresh flowers, listen to good music, hear modern teaching from the timeless word of God, and receive the bread and the wine of salvation. Not shabby for a one–hour commitment.

Church in the summer? I heartily recommend it, whether you attend your home church or walk into a new church at whatever exotic location your summer travels carry you. And if you’re near the lake country in Wisconsin this summer, would you come and fill our pews?