There is a certain energy that fills a place when people gather with purpose. You feel it in a packed stadium on game day, in a crowded café and in a sanctuary when voices rise together in prayer. It is the sound of belonging. It is community made visible.

A colleague and friend once told me, “If we can fill stadiums, then we can fill churches.” It is not a scolding. It is a hopeful reminder of our capacity to show up for what matters. We plan our weekends around games, we travel for tournaments, we wear our colors proudly and we celebrate together. That same devotion can shape our spiritual lives and the communities that nurture them.

The past few years of the pandemic and shifting cultural expectations disrupted old rhythms for many of us. Habits were broken. Caution became second nature. Even before the pandemic, many churches across the country were shrinking. What we discovered, though, is that people still long for meaning, connection and hope. Screens can help us stay connected, but they cannot replace the grace of being together in the same room, saying the same prayers, sharing the same song.

There is something irreplaceable about gathering for worship. Personal prayer is essential, but corporate worship forms us in a different way. It teaches us that faith is not a private hobby; it is a shared life. It is the harmony of voices singing words older than any of us. It is the quiet power of kneeling beside a neighbor. It is the simple miracle of exchanging peace with someone who may soon become a friend.

Your presence matters more than you realize. One more person in the seat strengthens a class, an outreach effort, a food drive, a choir. It changes the feel of a room. It tells a newcomer, “You belong here.” Showing up becomes an offering, like bread and wine placed on an altar or a gift dropped into a plate. We offer ourselves in gratitude for lives we did not create but are blessed to live.

Columbus is a city that knows how to gather. We rally around teams, schools, festivals and causes. We understand that community does not happen by accident; it is built by people who decide to be present. Faith communities are no different. They flourish when ordinary people make an extraordinary choice to come.

So cheer in the stands. Travel for your children. Celebrate the good gifts of life. And also, make room for God and for one another. Let a Sunday become sacred again.

It only takes one morning to begin. Walk through the doors. Take a seat. Sing, listen, proclaim. Discover the energy of community gathered in love.

The Rev. Andrew McLarty is Rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Columbus.

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