Why is it necessary to attend church? Why is personal prayer at home not enough? Why are services so long and held so often (sometimes several times a week)?

Why is it necessary to attend church? Why is personal prayer at home not enough? Why are services so long and held so often (sometimes several times a week)? #

The Lord Jesus Christ once said:

“Verily I say unto you, If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
(Matthew 18:19–20)

Thus, the question about attending church can be reframed: is it necessary to participate in communal prayer?

Communal prayer is not always conducted in churches. There are places without churches, and there have been times when churches were seized by heretics, forcing faithful Christians to gather for prayer in homes. Therefore, the real question is whether it is necessary to participate in joint, communal prayer or if praying alone at home is sufficient. Christ Himself answered this question, explaining that if even two people agree to ask for something, it will be granted to them by the Heavenly Father. Why? Because Christ Himself is present among those gathered in His name, even if only two or three are gathered.

The communal prayer of people assembled in the name of Christ is incomparably stronger and more effective than the personal prayer of a Christian at home. This is a straightforward explanation. However, for those who have experienced Orthodox worship, such explanations are unnecessary. After participating in this prayer, people, like the emissaries of Prince Vladimir in Constantinople, stand in awe and wonder: whether they are on earth or in heaven.

Orthodox services may seem long only to those who do not actively participate and do not understand what is being read or sung. In such cases, the service may appear lengthy and dull. But for those who read, sing, and understand what is being read and sung, the time passes unnoticed, leaving no sense of fatigue or boredom. The service brings joy and peace to the soul, strengthens faith, and helps in the struggle against vices and passions that can endanger the soul. The long services were established by the holy fathers, guided by the Holy Spirit. We preserve their decrees, neither adding to nor subtracting from them, remembering that these Spirit-inspired hymns and prayers help us turn to God, making our prayer pleasing to Him.

In parish churches, services are usually much less frequent than in monasteries: typically, there is a Saturday evening service, a Sunday morning service, and services for major feasts on weekdays. If one calculates the time spent in prayer relative to the entire year, the services conducted in churches make up only a small portion of the time. For a believer, communion with God is a desired, pleasant, and joyful time and activity.

Priest Mikhail Rodin.