Stardate 01.20.2026
I’ve heard all the arguments—pro and con—about worshiping in a church versus not worshiping in a church. Many of those arguments are rooted in feelings. And I get that. Isn’t that how we live most of our lives? If something feels right, we do it. Over time, habits form.
I’ve been on both sides of the fence when it comes to how I worship. More on that in a couple of days, when I celebrate my 6,000th blog story and peel away the last layer of the onion. Today’s question is directed at you—and how you fit in… or maybe don’t feel like you fit in at all.
Have you ever felt like something was missing in your life?
I have.
In my younger days, I believed I needed to control everything in order to get ahead. My sense of purpose was measured by possessions. Sadly, acquiring more stuff didn’t solve the problem. What followed was a season of letting go. I had mixed feelings about it, but I trusted my gut that peace might eventually find me.
It didn’t happen overnight.
Finding your purpose may be one of life’s longest journeys.
One of the greatest discoveries I’ve made is this: I am created in God’s image—and God loves me. Truly loves me. God wants me. And He wants you. Sending His only Son to die for you and me so that we can be with Him forever is the greatest act of love you will ever find in the universe.
When you truly understand that, worship no longer feels like a command.
It becomes a response.
It’s like wanting to be with your family and break bread together—especially after being away from home for a long time. That’s where I find myself today. And the quiet certainty in my heart confirms it.
I’m home.
How about you?
Yes, it’s true—you can worship God anywhere. He is everywhere. He hears you wherever you are. But keep this in mind: there may be others who are struggling to find where they belong. Your presence in a house of worship might help someone else find their way.
There is a special power when people come together to worship. Something happens in community that doesn’t always happen alone.
As you consider ways to make this new year one of your best ever, think about where—and with whom—you’re walking your faith journey.
Have a great day.
📖 Encouraging Scripture
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
— Ephesians 2:19
🖖 Captain’s Addendum
Bones: “You’re saying people don’t need to be forced—they need to feel like they belong.”
Spock: “Correct, Doctor. Belonging precedes commitment. This appears to be a universal truth.”
Bones: “Funny how love does what rules never could.”
Spock: “Indeed. Love is… highly persuasive.”
Michael’s Log:
I’ve learned that God doesn’t ask me to fit into His Kingdom by shrinking myself. He invites me to come home as I am—and then lets love do the transforming. Maybe our job isn’t to decide who belongs, but to leave the door open and the light on.
🙏 Closing Reflection
Thank You, Lord, for making room for all of us in Your Kingdom. Help us recognize where we belong—and help us be a welcoming presence for those still finding their way home.
2 comments:
Michael, I find it hard to grasp the notion of “sensing us his only son” and us being created as the image of him. Why would you worship somebody to help you after he created you? It is like your children would be worshiping you. You have created them, they are your responsibility. I think being religious in a sense of beliving in Christian dogmatic scripture is still a degree away from deeply understanding what Christian dogma calls God. There is nothing wrong to come to God through the path of Christianity. But to truly arrive, you must let go of it. That is the interesting paradox.
Thank you for taking the time to engage with this so thoughtfully. I appreciate the way you framed your questions—they’re not abstract to me; they’re human.
For me, worship has never been about obligation or hierarchy, and it’s definitely not transactional. I don’t worship God because He created me and now owes me help. I worship because, over time, I’ve come to recognize a presence that keeps meeting me in my weakness, my doubt, and my ordinary days. Worship, as I experience it, looks less like submission and more like gratitude and trust.
I also resonate with what you said about dogma versus deeper understanding. My faith didn’t begin with doctrine—it grew out of lived experience. Scripture and tradition became companions after I noticed patterns of grace, correction, and mercy unfolding in my own life. They help me name what I was already encountering, not replace it.
Where I may differ slightly is this: I don’t experience letting go of Christianity as leaving it behind, but as continually loosening my grip on certainty within it. The paradox you mention feels real to me too—holding the path lightly while still walking it faithfully.
I don’t claim to have arrived. I’m simply writing from where I’m standing, paying attention to what keeps meeting me along the way. I’m grateful you stopped long enough to ask these questions here. You're welcome back any time. By the way, if these questions intrigue you, I'm about to enter a new phase of personal vulnerability and it's helpful to know readers are willing to take the time to "engage" in this space. Have a great day.
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