I skipped Back to Church Sunday… or did I?
So, my family did not “go to church” Sunday morning… and, before you get all technical on me, we didn’t gather with the church Sunday morning either.
Now, I found out last Friday (I think), that yesterday (Sunday) was “Back to Church Sunday” when, apparently, I was supposed to invite someone to go to church with me. Of course, since we didn’t gather together with the church ourselves, we didn’t invite anyone either.
Or, did we gather with the church…
Friday night, at a high school soccer game, Margaret (my wife) and I had a great conversation with a friend about discipling others. She had been struggling with several questions about helping others grow in maturity and what her role should be in that. It was a encouraging and challenging conversation.
Saturday night, a couple had invited us to have dinner with them and their daughter. Margaret and I began discipling this couple just before their wedding. (Some would call this “marriage counseling”, but as we told our friends, we don’t do “marriage counseling”. Instead, we simply try to help people walk in Christ in whatever situation of life they find themselves.) We had such a great time with this family!
Sunday morning, we were tired and, to be honest, I was discouraged by some news I had received recently. So, we stayed home and rested as a family.
Sunday evening, we joined some of our brothers and sisters at a park for exercise and fellowship. Again, we had such a great time talking about life as we walked around the track.
So, we didn’t take part in “Back to Church Sunday” on Sunday morning… but I definitely think we gathered with the church last weekend.
Now, I wonder how we’ll gather with the church during this week…
If the totality of my Christian walk is meeting on Sunday morning at a set time in a certain building, then I feel I should be pitied indeed. While it is a small part of my walk, it is a scheduled part. I still struggle with ‘corporate church’, where I go to get my needs met, to be entertained by choirs, special music, felt-need preaching, etc. While I continue to go and worship with my friends and fellow believers, I can’t help but feel there is a better way. Of course, I guess it could also just be my sinful human nature that is always looking for something better or different. But I continue to look while not giving up what I have.
John,
I appreciate the honest reflection. How will you go about trying to determine if your desire for “something better or different” is just your sinful human nature?
-Alan
That’s obviously a hard one for me. I have prayed about it for quite awhile, read all the Bible passages about the early church, and have asked trusted friends. When I hear from people who are supported by the institutional church, it’s usually pro-institution, which I can understand since that’s what they do. I also realize that there is a lot of good done through having a system in place to coordinate efforts in missions, helping the poor, ministering to people in need, etc. So far the way I handle it is meet with a small group of men for Bible study and prayer during the week, then attend a normal church service on Sunday. To be honest, I worship more with my men’s group than I do in the church service. So I’ll keep praying, reading blogs like yours, and reading God’s Word. I remain convinced that the more I seek after Him, the more He will lead me in the right direction.
Would it be okay to just meet with other believers over dinner or for other types of activities like you spoke of Alan and share with and minister to each other from the overflow of our time spent with the LORD daily and never go back to any type of structured meeting be it traditional, organic or hybrid? Do you consider those encounters to he assembling with and as the church?
John,
There is alot of good that is done through the system. I’m glad to hear that you’re studying the subject and talking with people about it.
Hutch,
Those encounters are certainly examples of assembling with the church!
-Alan
Alan,
It seems that edification took place, with love of the brethren, and the Lord of the church He is building was glorified!
How do you “go back” to something you never left, something that you are? Maybe there needs to be a National Act Like the Church day.
Aussie John,
I think so too. 🙂
Fred,
That’s a good question and a good suggestion.
-Alan
Alan-
Hands and feet. Hands and feet everywhere, not just one day a week, at the same time. Glad we are called to be the church at all times. (Oops, I just said that).
THAT was refreshing! Thank you for clarifying what exactly a “church” gathering is. We do a lot of that 🙂
Tom,
Yes, exactly. All the time… which takes the pressure and the focus off of a specific meeting at a specific time and a specific place, and puts the focus on Jesus Christ in us whenever we are together.
Kim,
Thank you. I’m learning to live with others (whenever I’m with other believers) as the church is described in the New Testament.
-Alan
Great thoughts. Is the Sunday morning worship service the best place to bring people to be introduced or reintroduced to the message and calling of Jesus? I wonder about this all of the time…