Last month in the Chimes, I mentioned that for my Summer reading I was working my way through the book Who Needs God by Harold S. Kushner (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989). I started reading it while sitting in the surgery waiting room at North Kansas City Hospital. Now, I am not the world's fastest reader. Nor would I be considered a voracious reader. I tend to read slowly, sometimes understanding what I'm reading and sometimes not. I'm likely to do better with audio books. At my previous appointment before I started pastoring at McMurry, I had a 50-minute drive—each way—to the churches I served. I checked out numerous audio books from the library and listened to them while I drove.
Well, just a few days ago, I finally finished Who Needs God. Took me only about 7 weeks. Not bad for a 212-page book. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it. I may not agree with everything Kushner says, and parts of the book haven't aged well. Even so, if you happen to come across a copy at the library or a bookstore, it is well worth the read. And the good news is that Who Needs God is still in print after 36 years.
Even though Rabbi Kushner writes from a Jewish perspective, much of what he says is applicable to Christians as well. For example, if you want to know why one should regularly go to church or synagogue, Kushner gives a great answer:
"We don't go to church or synagogue at a stipulated time because God keeps 'office hours.' We go because that is when we know there will be other people there, seeking the same kind of encounter we are seeking…The purpose is for us to join in song and prayer with our fellow worshipers, to find God in the exhilarating experience of transcending our isolation, our individuality, and becoming part of a great whole. When the service works, we will feel different about ourselves and the world for having gone through that experience" (p. 150).
This ties in well with something Kushner writes later: "Religion is not first and foremost a series of teachings about God. Religion is first and foremost the community through which you learn to understand the world and grow to be human. Religion is the bringing together of people to share the important moments of their lives" (p. 197)
Now, you might object to this idea and think: "but isn't learning about God the whole point of going to church?" I don't think it is. We can learn about God anywhere on our own. We can read and study the Bible, pray, listen to a lesson or sermon just about whenever. We don't need to be in church on Sunday morning to learn about God. But what can't we do on our own? Gather together for corporate worship. It takes a community of people to make that happen—a community that regularly gathers at a specific time and place for the express purpose of worshiping and encountering God together.
At McMurry Church, we gather for worship each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in our beautiful church building located at 25 Eugene Field Rd in Kansas City Missouri (in the Village of Claycomo, just off of US-69). At the same time, we livestream our worship services through our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/McMurryUnitedMethodistChurch. You can watch worship live at 10 a.m. on Sundays, or you can watch it at your convenience any time after that. So, if you are in town and you are able, we'd love to see you on Sundays in person here at McMurry. If you are not able to get out, or you're sick or traveling on vacation, you are invited to worship online, using the above web address. And if you do the online worship option, please leave us a note to let us know how much you appreciate being part of the McMurry community.
In closing, I'd like to express my appreciation to the late Rabbi Harold Kushner for writing such an insightful and faith-lifting book. And yes, Kushner does get around to addressing the question that the book title poses, "Who Needs God?" On the very last page of the last chapter, Kushner writes his answer: "I know I do. I know we do" (p. 212). Indeed, we all need God. See you in church!
Grace & Peace
Pastor Clayton