I have heard people tell me they don't attend church because they 'don't get anything out of it.' I don't believe that attending church, synagogue or mosque has anything to do with getting something out of it as much as it does with creating something within us.
       Sitting in the presence of Holy community (not Holy people, but Holy Community) can change us and form us. Even when that community seems foreign, different or even challenging, the community gathered is better than its parts. I get upset with The Church, the slowness to respond, the disregard for people who don't agree or the inevitable favoritism that is part of every human system. But, I know that Holy Community is somehow part of the need of my soul's health. This community nourishes me in a way that helps me be grounded and prayerful. I am part of something that causes me to extend grace and receive grace.