{"id":431,"date":"2026-02-15T18:19:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greggfriend.com\/?p=431"},"modified":"2026-02-15T18:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:21:17","slug":"why-go-to-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greggfriend.com\/?p=431","title":{"rendered":"Why Go To Church?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When we were visiting churches in the UK in October, we went to a church, which was open with no one there. I noticed a book on the shelf in the back of the church called, Why Go to Church: The Drama of the Eucharist<\/em><\/strong>, by Timothy Radcliffe. I was curious to find out how he would persuade someone to go to church and was intrigued that Rowan Williams wrote the Foreword. Unfortunately, after reading the book, I was disappointed. He clearly answered the question posed by the title in a short paragraph in the last chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why should our sleepy bishop, or any of us, get out of bed and go to church? Often enough the church will be cold, the sermon irritating, the music trite, and the pews hard. Nothing exciting may appear to happen. What\u2019s in it for me? I have suggested that we go because we are offered a gift, Christ\u2019s body and blood. If one believes in Jesus, then it would be odd not to wish to accept what he offers us. But God\u2019s gifts are given through the slow transformation of who we are, God\u2019s undramatic noiseless work, recreating us as people who have faith, hope and charity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of the book was a tiringly detailed description of the “drama of the Eucharist.” I enjoyed some of the detail that gave me better understanding of the Eucharist, but I found some of the rabbit trails exhausting and not further enlightening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since my review is not very encouraging, I will leave you with what Google Gemini said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key aspects of Radcliffe’s argument include:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n