Make Weekly Worship Important Again!
I know this is funny for a pastor to say, but I’m renewing my commitment to making Sunday worship important again! And so should you.
The reality is that there’s no other gathering in our week designed to build up our identity in Christ and envision what’s our purpose as a community in the city and the world. It doesn’t happen in your workplace or at your neighbourhood pub.
Some of us are extremely busy or burnt out or have been hurt by a church or can’t seem to find the perfect local church teaching what they want to hear or playing the music they want to sing. So committing to a weekly “attendance in a pew” seems impractical or old hat. I’m there with you and I get that. But often it’s the cynic in us that sees weekly worship gatherings that way. Be assured that God doesn’t view it that way.
Theres no other reminder in our weekly schedule to TAKE A BREAK, SEEK GOD, HIS PURPOSE, and HIS PEOPLE.
The Sabbath principle of worship and rest is the weekly alarm clock designed to remind us that we are created for God, for the Body, and for gospel mission. Work, drama, hobbies, sports, TV, charity can occupy a large part of our week, but God has designed the soul to rest and to worship as the Church – otherwise our souls will lose focus and become dry. The Spirit of Christ that lives in us longs to commune with God and the Church.
There are a few different camps of people when it comes to the importance of Christian Sunday worship services. I want to highlight five camps, but of course there are more.
CAMP 1: There are some who view the Sunday worship service as the exclusive church experience. Church is the one hour to two hour slot on a Sunday morning. The rest of their week has little to no devotional integration of faith or community.
CAMP 2: There are those who view weekly worship services as overly institutional and unimportant for whatever reason. They may attend a worship gathering once in a while (Christian and Easter?), but faith remains a private affair.
CAMP 3: There are those who see Sunday worship as an integral part of their church experience and they also understand that teaching, mission, and community happens seven days a week. Within this camp people tend to struggle with balance, for sure.
CAMP 4: There are those who see the Sunday worship service as a consistent way to learn more about Christianity. They attend a worship service as a seeker investigating Jesus – some for the first time in their life.
CAMP 5: There are those who rarely if at all ever think about Sunday worship because they’re either uninterested or have never been invited to attend one. By in large their view of Sunday worship service is what they hear or see on media.
What camp are you in?
Trinity Life wants all of these people – and the truth of the matter is that it has all of them each and every week. Every Sunday we celebrate the new life found in Jesus Christ. We celebrate it in a way that accounts for the different camps. We’re passionate for sure, but we’re also intelligible to those who are seeking God for the first time.
The Bible uses the metaphor of adoption to help us better understand the privilege of becoming a Christian and the future life that God has for each of us. Each week we gather to worship and throw an adoption celebration party. Some come to know God as Father for the first time and Sunday is their orientation into the family. Others recall their own adoption story and are moved with appreciation each week – God is Father and each week is a Family reunion. Some embrace their call to be adoption “agents” in our city and the world and each week spurs them to live their faith boldly and practically.
Each week means something different to everyone.
Each week has a cumulative effect.
Each week counts.
Can I encourage you to make weekly worship important again? Give yourself permission this Sunday to renew your soul and to see others renewed as well.