Yes, I get that feeling often. Then again, with every good deed comes a reward as well. So I feel it's all fair and balanced in the end.

I wish I didn't have to work on Sundays or else I'd be going back to church as well. I could go Sat nights but it's a rush because I have to start taking the train now instead of driving. Ah well, such is life I suppose.

This is dangerous territory, it's best to assume that no matter how faithful or unfaithful one is, God isn't handing out punishment or boons. This would bring into question all kinds of world scenarios, of cancer children and the slaughter of innocents of which the only defense in the end will be "God works in mysterious ways" or some variant. 

Yes, I do believe that in some ways, he hurts those that he loved. That, and in fact we can be so selfish for doing doing something that is so effortless compared for what He has done to us. I will remember this entry every time I skip a service. Though, there are times when God is just testing us.

I do feel like I am being opunished sometimes when things don't go my way. Sometimes we are being ounished. I know that God is just and able to forgive us of all of our sins but we still have to live with the consequences.

I don't think that God was punishing you guys for missing chruch. That was just conviction. I know how hard it is to leave a church. Whether you leave because of circumstances in the church or because you have to relocated it's always hard. But remember WE are the church.

I don't ever think that God makes things not go my way to punish me. I think it's usually to teach me something, whether I did something to make it happen or I was just lacking in a fruit of the spirit. Like, if I have to wait a really long time for something that I really want to happen, He could be trying to give me patience.

I have to admit that I sometimes will think this way and say "why God?  Why are you punishing me?!"  But deep down, I don't believe he is.  I also will sometimes go the other way and will think "hmm....everything seems to be going along so nicely right now....I wonder what bad thing is going to happen?"  I have to keep remembering Romans 8:28....."And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

just go to church this sunday and see if the weather's nice!

Since Jesus took my "punishment" I almost never feel I am being punished.  I often look at circumstances in my life as loving reminders of who is God and who is not God, and my complete dependence on him.  Often circumstances are just there, so God can show up and be the hero.  He's loves a great story.

And in regard to sin...I've always sort of viewed God as the concerned parent. God tells us not is sin because he loves us, not because he's on some sort of cosmic power trip, or because he actually thinks we can achieve holy lives by not sinning.  Just as a parent says don't touch the pan, it's hot...it will hurt you, God says, please don't sin, it might look fun, but it's going to hurt you. And when that child touches the pan, most parents, even though they warned them, feel bad for their child because he's hurt. God still is sad, saying I wish you wouldn't have done that...I know it hurts you so much.

I would not, in full knee-jerk fashion, perfunctorily rule out the possibility that God was punishing her for not going to church.  However, I would tell her that I thought it highly unlikely, given that she is unable to decide for the family whether they go to church or not. 

Thence, I would add that if she feels somewhat guilty, she may be different from me (her mother), and that it is entirely possible that God was in fact using the rain to punish her (for something, maybe merely not expressing her desire to attend church loudly and clearly, early enough to have an effect on the decision-making process) while He was not punishing anyone else. 

Then, I would end by adding that even given that possiblity (after all, all things are possible with God), I would say that I felt fairly sure, given my longer understanding of God, that that was probably not God's intent for her and the rain at all. 

Rain is good, even though admittely, you cannot play the more active games as freely.  Rain presents a wonderful, and necessary, opportunity to engage in more reflective activies.  There is nothing wrong with that.  However, there is great opportunity for moral misstep in not accepting every bit of weather God gives us and making the most of that opportunity, joyously.   Shux, it's great just to live!  We should be glad at any sort of weather, and question ourselves when we find we are not entirely delighted. 

Too, I would end by telling her that  nothing that I know of in the Bible says you must go to church every week.  Yes, in the book of James, there is a part which says, "Neglect not to gather together."  That is strong support for church attendance, and other gatherings midweek.  For that matter, I see it as generally better to play softball on Tuesday afternoon with a bunch of Christian friends than a bunch of heathens. 

We know, too, that "wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with you."  That tells us that "wherever" is wherever, meaning authentic Christian communion is by no means confined to the inside of a church.  The thing I like about a church is that when I go there, I know I can engage people who will respect the Bible as a basis for argument and glorification.  There is much to be said for that, compared to what sort of people you get outside the church. 

But I would be careful about the inherent possibility of handicapping her by telling her that God simply "does not work that way,"  meaning you take on the authority to rule out the possiblity that He might be punishing her.   A little fear of God, and understanding that He has a long history of punishing his beloved creations.  I see a lot or problems with the blithe modern "Christian" assumption that God never punishes. 

@Padooker@xanga - I think had we have committed a 'sin' I could possibly believe God was punishing us, but there was no sin, in not going to church for a week.  While I definitely agree that God disciplines those He loves, I don't really think this was one of those occasions.  But I appreciate your thoughts on it.