This week I heard a story from a couple who were hosting their four year old grandson for the summer. The young boy came from a very religious home. Often his mother would stop with him in church to make a visit while passing by.

There was a Protestant church directly across the street from where the couple lived and the young boy noticed that no one ever visited. He decided to cross the street, only to find the church doors locked, so he couldn't pull them open. So he knelt down on the steps and made the sign of the cross and prayed.

The minister had witnessed this from his study window and phoned the grandparents to tell them he was so impressed at this child's faith. The following Sunday he announced to his congregation that from now on he would leave the church open during daylight hours with a sign on the outside: Open for prayer.

How often we can be awestruck by the example of youngsters, but it seems all too often that some adults have the attitude that church is for children; as adults, we no longer need it. Some even come to church with the attitude of doing God a favor; of merely fulfilling an obligation.

In the reading from Proverbs the author gives us a contrast in attitudes. Wisdom is more than knowledge of information. It embraces intuition and sensitivity and yields peace. He compares Wisdom to life, solidity, security, maturity, formation, and priority of values. The opposite is apathy, ignorance, unconsciousness and even death.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul also writes in this same vein. Paul points out that our behavior and actions are directly influenced by our attitude. For the Christian our behavior is guided by our realization that we are all children of God and merit dignity.

We behave in a certain way because God has behaved in a certain way to save all humanity. Our view of the world is shaped by God's view of the world, shown to us in the sacrificial love of Christ. This wisdom is process formation, and it is spontaneous, as we respond to the infinite and unconditional love of God.

When we come to church, it is to worship God. Yes, it is something that we owe to God, but how much more He gives us in return. Jesus seeks to satisfy our hungers on every level. When we are open to receive his grace we are doing ourselves a favor.

The most significant signs of a healthy church are: (1) a sense of God's empowering presence. (2) a place where God is worshiped/exalted. (3) where long lasting relationship/commitment are encouraged. (4) where one is spiritually fed with God's word and Eucharist. (5) where people search for repentance and a change of life and experience God's serenity and mercy. (6) where people reach out to bring the gospel to others by personal testimony what God has done in my life. (7) where generosity and stewardship is fostered not by begging for money but by a response to the formation from the above.

If these are the genuine hungers of people today, we have much need for soul searching. You (I) may not agree with the order of the list; but we can hardly disagree that everything on that list is gospel rooted. There may be things for which you (I) hunger and others for which we must provide the food for feeding. To one degree or another we are responsible and no one is exempt from accountability.