Why Go To Church?

A church goer wrote to the editor of a newspaper and stated that it did not make sense to go to church every Sunday. He said, 

“I have gone to church for 30 years and during this time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for my life, except for one or the other, I can not remember the most of them … So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are also wasting their time.” 

To the delight of the editor in chief of the newspaper, this started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” -  during which time he received several letters, the following being one which he decided to publish in response:

“I have been married for over 30 years. During this time my wife has cooked some 3,000 meals. But for my life, except for one or the other, I can not remember most of them, but one thing I know, they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my job. If my wife had not given me these meals, I and our children would be malnourished or dead. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for the feeding of my soul and my family, we would be in terrible spiritual condition.“

In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

Sunday "Routine"!?

Occasionally I get asked about my Sunday routine (as I was yesterday).  To be fair, to use the word "routine" for any given Sunday would be a true misnomer as each Sunday seems to be unique unto itself.  The only "routine" thing about my Sunday's is that I go to church.  From there the variation begins.  And before I write out my schedule for yesterday, let me just say that my prayer is for there to be nothing "routine" about Sunday; nothing ordinary, nothing natural; for I would prefer things to be dynamic, extraordinary, and by the grace of God, supernatural as I meet with God's people to worship Him who is worthy of all praise.  With that said, here is what took place this last Lord's day:

• 4:50 am
  • I awake, take a moment to think about the day and thank the Lord for what the day holds.

• 5:00 am
  • Grab a cup of coffee (thankful for coffee timers)

• 5:05-5:15 am
  • Read a portion of Scripture; in this case Hebrews 9 to meditate on.

• 5:15-5:30 am
  • Shower and such

• 5:30-6:15 am
  • Prayer and meditation on Hebrews text, preparing to share something for our second hour communion service.

• 6:15-6:45 am
  • Bandito time; feed him; straighten up his habitat; let him run around the yard while I have some more coffee.

• 6:45-7:15 am
  • Breakfast; catch up on some blogs

• 7:15-7:45 am
  • Dress for church

• 7:45 am-8:00 am
  • Drive to church; talk to Laura about what the day holds

• 8:00-8:25 am
  • final preparations for worship service; some personal keyboard practice time

• 8:25-9:00 am
  • Worship Team practice

• 9:00-9:25 am
  • greeting people as they arrive at church
    
    
• 9:25-10:00 am
  • lead worship music

• 10:00-11:00 am
  • preach the Gospel (Acts 7:17-38)

• 11:15 am- 12:15 pm
  • lead second hour Communion service (share from Hebrews 9:13-14)

• 12:15-1:00 pm
  • Visit with various folks

• 1:00 - 1:30 pm
  • Premarital counseling prep (and I ate some cookies)

• 1:45 - 3:15 pm
  • Premarital Counseling

• 3:30 - 4:00 pm
  • Change and visit with family and friends at the house

• 4:00-5:30 pm
  • Mowed the back and front yards (usually a Monday thing but I heard there could be rain)

• 5:30 - 8:30 pm
  • Watch a movie with the young adults (interrupted for dinner)

• 8:30 - 10:30 pm
  • a visit with Bandito and then retired to my room

• 10:30 pm
  • CRASHED!

Just another Sunday, filled with its own unique experiences.  Wondering exactly what next Sunday will hold.  Let's see, Mother's Day, the Maples - yes, should be wonderfully dynamic.  What a blessing to serve the Lord and His people.

Dan Walker: Standing Up For The Lord’s Day

Dan Walker is a sports broadcaster for the BBC. In this article from DayOne, Dan explains how God has made it possible for him to work as a sports journalist without having to compromise on keeping the Lord’s Day and the opportunities this has given him to explain the importance of Sunday to his colleagues, potential employers, and sports stars like David Beckham.

Many people—even Christians—have asked me why I feel so strongly about the Lord’s Day. For me it seems quite obvious. God, our creator, has given it to us for our own good. Some will argue that Jesus Christ’s coming means we are no longer obligated to keep it special but that is a viewpoint I fundamentally disagree with.

There are still ten commandments and it is more important than ever before to guard the fourth one jealously. I think it is also essential to stress the importance of being part of a ‘local’ church. The church, the corporate worship of God, and the preaching of the Word are three of the main things Satan aims to undermine in the lives of Christians. I know that I would suffer both spiritually and practically if I started working on Sunday. I don’t think our attitude to the Lord’s day is a ‘salvation’ issue but I do firmly believe that it is a sign of our spiritual temperature. What does it say about us if we would rather be on a football pitch than in the presence of God’s people hearing his Word?

Read it all here: http://www.lordsday.co.uk/Dan%20Walker.htm