How important is "church"?

[RandyWayne]

On another thread asking what we will be doing New Years eve, I said we'll be at a funeral. A couple that my wife grew up with, taught Sunday school, and never had a bad thing to say, were going to church LAST Sunday when they crashed at an intersection. The weather was horrible, but cursed be ye all if CHURCH is canceled! They were on their way when they were hit by another car. She died within the hour and he was seriously hurt but well enough to go home after 5 days -in time to plan his wifes funeral.
This has just made me furious the more I think about it because the folks at this church do not seem to feel one SHRED of guilt. No doubt the service will be filled with "The Lord called her home!" platitudes and no "maybe we should have canceled service" regrets.
All the other stories and debates I have been engaged in over the years have come flooding back. On other board there was a young wife having marital problems with an unsaved husband: She complained that he was only home 8-9 days a month (he was a truck driver) and 4-5 of those days were always Sundays to which SHE was never home because of church. She was steadfast in her belief that her "church family" was more important than her real family.
I'm also thinking of other discussions where family life was always pushed aside for continues church services -hell or high water.

Is holding a church service ahead of family (or even God) idolatry? How many other things, when placed ahead of the cross or loving your neighbor, also idolatry? I will let personal contemplation answer that question.