Some Sundays I’m just not in the mood to go to church. The excuse of worshipping God on a coastal beach sounds so spiritual—much better than, “I don’t want to go to church today.”
The mindset that keeps me trudging through the doors of Father’s House regardless of my mood is my knowledge that church isn’t about me. Church is about the One who left the comfort of his home to hang out with people like me—common, self-centered, sometimes irritating humans.
Church is about ordinary people gathering together to worship the One who left “the glories of heaven” to bring the party to us. In fact, that is just what the word “church” means—the “called out ones”—the ones who gather in groups to worship the One who has called us out of our homes and into his.
So to be the church, in the real sense of the word, I have to go to where the people gather who are headed to his house. It doesn’t matter if we differ on the style in which we worship. It does matter that we worship together—as a group—setting aside our discomfort to focus on the One who really matters.
Going to church means I have to get out of bed, put myself in gear, get my body out the door and into the car, and drive to the gathering place where I will meet other people who have all gone through the same process to get to the gathering place to worship the One called Jesus.
Guess I’d better get ready. It’s Friday, but Sunday’s comin’.
Do you attend church regularly? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
Where does one find the Holy in the midst of the flu and cold season? Sickness is one of those times when holy doesn’t feel spiritual. However, here are 5 things you can do to get well soon and connect with the Holy:
How does one step into the story that God has planned for his life? How do we encounter the Holy in the daily in such a way that our life makes sense and contains purpose mixed with destiny? Here are 5 ways to step into your God story.
There are many scripts defining your life: The story you tell about yourself in your head. The story others tell about you or think about you. The story the enemy of your soul wants to create for you. But the story that matters is the one the Author of Life is writing for you. Which story are you living?
To continue our theme of peace in the midst of outer turmoil this week, I’m delighted to introduce Linda Wilson as my first guest blogger at Holy in the Daily. Linda has been struggling with cancer for some time and her growth in Jesus continues to amaze me. She and her husband, Rich, pastor a Third Day church in San Luis Obispo, California. Linda is known for her humor, compassion, and artful soul. Welcome Linda!
People can drain the peace out of your day if you let them. Can you think of one person whose presence you could have done without lately—at least for a while? Irritating relationships can make room for the Holy when you keep a few self-care practices in place.
Finding the Holy in my daily often means responding with gentleness to the abrasive intrusions of the hour. Be it irritating drivers on the freeway or the cable company billing department, I find myself called to relate with self-controlled mindfulness.
There is something about figure skating that captures my desire to worship the Lord of the Dance. Perhaps it is the smooth and flowing freedom of the dancers that speaks to me of unrestrained worship, or it could be the gracefulness of their moves upon the hard ice. Whatever the reason, this call to worship mesmerizes me.
Subscribe to Holy in the Daily by Email
Conversations