text: what the effect of church attendence on your health? you might also care to comment on the effect of have strong religious bliefs, on you health. as a music minister and volunteer, the larger the congregation, the higher my stress level. i'm too often playing martha i'm afraid. i'm sure you know what i mean, fr. :-)  full pews for special events also bring me a certain serenity however, and i don't know if there's a correlative physical aspect. but to know that i am lifting my voice with so many singing the litany helps connect me to the communion of saints in a way that feels so tangible... like you can reach out and touch apostles and saints of the ages.