Do you have to go to church to be a good Christian?

In the March 01,2008 Ebony Magazine with President Obama on the cover and the title: "In our time are we really witnessing the election of the Nation's first black President?" If you are reading this you know the answer is "yes" we did. Inside the magazine I found an article by the Rev. Clarence L. James. He gives 02 sides of the question and elaborates specific and honest. He begins by addressing the African American individuals because we are confused when it comes to identifying ourselves as part of the make up of society as a whole. He leads you through a historical reason for gathering for worship. After reading the article I was again enlightened to the purpose of what the ramifications of church should be. Previously I blogged about religion and I attempted to separate it from Spiritualism. This is what Rev. James had to say about that behavior of thought, "The first argument comes from a European thought of pattern that compartmentalizes aspects of life and separates the sacred from the secular as if evil owns its part of creation and GOD has HIS. They call for the "the separation of church and state." They separate politics from morality, fertility from sexuality, faith from healing, and prayer from education. Spirituality is not the opposite of religiosity; it is the other side of the coin of holistic humanness. Spirituality is the impulse. Religiosity is the outward manifestation." I humbly accept constructive criticism. I have bounced from congregation to organization and find fault then relent to solidarity, there is no "perfect" church. The church is a hospital and a grave yard. I recently went to a photo shoot at the congregation I'm a member of since April of 2007. I had visited for one full year before joining because I was warring with my flesh about the logistics and restrictions that trail membership to any organization. Not to mention shortly after I joined one of the seniors mentioned he didn't want to see the church grow because he would miss the closeness of a small membership. If I had not taken a break and gotten myself on the path to forgiveness and understanding I would have left then. Thank GOD for HIS WORD and LOVE. I stay because the Pastor really divides the Word properly. I can't fathom that many of the members are stale and old "hearers and not doers". I began to only attend Sunday School and reject the afternoon service which I called "entertainment". I tried the choir and Bible Study and concluded they don't like me. I never seemed to find a place to fit. I was wounded by gossip and then provoked to anger by the ignorance. I've since reduced my visits to once a month to pay my tithes and hope there is change of attitude and well. There are dress codes and language codes and behavior patterns and make up directions. Sometimes you can be overwhelmed with all the jargon. So at the photo shoot, I was met with the same looks and nonchalant conversations as previously noted, provoked by the same players got caught off guard and said something that I shouldn't have and left feeling wounded and depressed because it is just to much work to try to please everyone without harming yourself. I did not use profanity or vulgarity but the looks that were given to be from saying, "maybe I'm trying to smell you" left me sick inside(I was speaking to my mother). I don't socialize with them because I went on several outings and their conversations vex my spirit and tempt me to regress and become dark and evil again. You must know your flesh and not give in. However we must take personal inventory and remember that the Word of GOD says, in the book of Matthew chapter 13 verses 24-30. JESUS was speaking in parables and mentioned this, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares(a weed) among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted it produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed to your field? How then does it have tares? He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' " Here the purpose of the parable was to teach one point, not to be picked apart to find meaning in all of its details. So the believers and unbelievers must grow together and GOD will separate. I'm learning we are to be helpers one to another. This can not be accomplished by isolation or excluding. Another part of Rev. James article had this to say about people like me.
"People who say they no longer to to church because of the hypocrites are being hypocrites themselves. All have sinned and fall Short of the GLORY of GOD. The church is not a museum for plaster saints but a hospital for dying sinners." And with regards to the significance of the church he had this to say, "We face this crisis in our communities because we have abandoned the spiritual, moral and ecclesiastical ways of our people. The weakness of the church has led to family collapse and community catastrophe. We have abandoned marriage and family to the extent that children are born out of wedlock." He goes on to say, "We look with contempt on education. More of our sons go to prison rather than college. Their most popular entertainment encourages every sort of crininality. They kill one another for sport. Innocent children are murdered every year as "collateral damage". Their comedy is pornography, Schools are an internationally known disaster with hundreds of thousands of teahers leaving the classroom every because they can no longer tolerate being cursed out, threatened, beaten up, sexually harassed and shot by their own students. These are just a few reasons that Christians need to go to church. Only the church retains the moral authority to speak with power to parents, teachers, politicians, policemen and entertainers." He seems to share my grievances about church but he followes his Spirit and denounces the flesh and its need to harm itself. I'm learning. But I had to separate from the congregation to get myself on a path aligned with the Word of GOD and not dwell on the thoughts and wishes of humanity. I must now be visible for the Spirit of THE LORD to be observed through me and hopefully influence and inspire others. Yes, I will be met with tares but I must do as the Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Philippians 03:12-14, "Not that I(Paul) have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which CHRIST JESUS has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of GOD in CHRIST JESUS." I love the character of Paul, he truly relates the humanness of our lives and express GOD as the HEALER. In closing I'll let Paul speak from Philippians 04:08-09, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me(Paul), these do, and the GOD of PEACE will be with you."