My troubles with Sunday Services

Here are two questions I have been thinking about lately:

1. What have been the most effective things in my life that God has used to grow me spiritually?
2. Does that match my current priorities?

I think it is likely that the answer to the first question would be different for everyone. I would also bet that all of us have fallen into the trap of prioritizing what everyone else says to prioritize, rather than what actually helps us grow. It seems that in many ways we may have traded religious tradition for growth- at least I have.

Here is my ranking of things I feel have been most effective for my own spiritual growth:

1. Taking big steps of faith to serve Jesus.
2. Giving of myself to help others move closer to Jesus
3. Giving of myself to help others in times of need (poor, homeless, etc.)
4. My personal times of prayer and reflection
5. Attending retreats and conferences that present a lot of information at once, and allow for time to process it.
6. Reading good books.
7. Spending time with a small group of people being accountable and developing real relationships.
8. Attending other weekly Bible studies or teaching times where a sermon or talk is presented.
9. Attending Sunday services.

The very disturbing part to me is that I think I have tended to prioritize these things in my life in reverse order! So I am asking myself, why am I prioritizing going to church on Sunday morning over helping people in need? Shouldn't I be willing to skip Sunday morning if it would give me time to do one of the things higher on my list? Am I really that much of a slave to tradition?

What about you? In your life, do your priorities match up with what helps you grow?

Disclaimer: In my mind, Sunday morning service DOES NOT equal church. I consider almost all of these things to be done in the context of 'church'. I am not saying that I need to ditch the church.