Don't Waste Your Time At Church

If you went to the gym for an hour once a week, and ate junk food all week long, would you see a net gain in the improvement of your health? If you studied a foreign language about three times a year, how long would it take you to become fluent? How 'bout music? If you sat down at the piano during a few random holidays, how long would it take you to learn the instrument?
I'm sure everybody goes to church for different reasons, at different times in their life. If we wanted to find a common theme of any sort, in when people go to church, a list might look something like this:
Holidays
Funerals
Weddings
Births (baptism, christening, etc.)
Social services(counseling, charity, etc.)

From my quick list, it seems we all head to church for two basic reasons. To celebrate something, or to have a need met. Maybe death finds us seeking peace. Maybe your family is in town during December and you want a place to recognize the holiday together. To be sure, all good reasons.

Going to church doesn't make you a better person, nor are you assured of any enlightenment, of any kind, regardless of how often you make an appearance. Why do we seek out a house of worship at what proves to be critical times in our lives, while ignoring that same peace and comfort the rest of the year.
Wouldn't it be nice to feel the way you do during a Christmas Eve service, all year long?
The words of wisdom, and promise of a fruitful life together that make us cry during weddings, seldom are lived out in the years that follow the ceremony.
I hear people say they attend church for the benefit of their children. Some say they want their kids to "be exposed to it" or "I want my children to have the option". These same people will often stop going to church once their kids are old enough to express disinterest, or become so over scheduled that church attendance is no longer a priority. The lesson taught to our kids seems clear to me....... you should go to church as long as you can fit it in and as for me (your parent), I don't have a vested interest in going for my own benefit.

Routine of any kind, no matter how well intentioned, seldom yields any real benefit into our lives. In fact, I think more often then not it tends to shift our focus away from what really matters. We then tend to get caught up in the routine of what we are doing, rather than why we started doing it to begin with.
Is there peace to be had in church? Yes, sure. Why is that? Is it just the songs, the smiles and cook-outs?

Please, don't run out and join a church now. Don't start giving away a bunch of money.
You would be better served living out the values espoused during that once a week visit, the other six days a week.
Why is church is only good for funerals, weddings and holidays?
Or are you convinced you are too good for church the rest of the time?