Spanish 
"Why do you go to church?" - Excerpts from Session 2 of the Salvation small group series
Why do you go to church? Perhaps we think that preparing to live in God’s kingdom is something we can do ourselves, but this is not true. God created us for relationships; with Him, with each other, and with the rest of His creation. Just loving God is not enough. Jesus makes it very clear that loving our neighbor is just as important (Matthew 22:37-39), and we also see throughout Scripture the importance of stewardship and caring for what God has given us, namely the creation. Therefore, to live in God’s kingdom, in the future and already today, we must cultivate and grow each of these relationships, and Jesus created the church for that reason.
In the divine service we experience specific things individually and communally.
Individually, when we come to church, we detach ourselves physically and mentally from daily life in order to encounter God. When we set ourselves apart in this way, our personal relationship with God can be strengthened through the preaching of His Word, and the receiving of sacraments and blessings.
In the divine service, we also share experiences as a community of believers. We gather together with people that we did not choose and that perhaps we would not know or have a relationship with if it wasn’t for our shared faith in Jesus Christ. And when we gather, we join together in praise and worship to God, and together experience the awe and wonder of expressing who He is and what He has done. We share life with each other; in joy and in sorrow we comfort, support, and uplift one another. We also learn how to overcome our differences, forgive, and reconcile.
Each one of us must take time to reflect and ponder, why do I go to church?
I come to church because I experience the presence of Jesus here; I need my brothers and sisters to grow into the new person God is creating in me; to praise and worship my God; to celebrate communion with Jesus Christ and with my brothers and sisters; to set myself apart from all the noise and chaos of daily life to focus on the holiness of God; to see and share life with my community of faith; and before I leave the divine service to experience God putting His arms around me and blessing me.