Sunday morning.....

(updated for 2022)

We're finally at the end of another week, which I think begs the question of how we will respond to another Sunday morning, and the challenge of rising early and getting ready for Church. Will you be happy, eager, excited, reluctant, challenged, or just plain tired?

When I'm fortunate to have the day off work on a Sunday, sometimes the greatest challenge is dragging myself out of bed in time for Church and in the right frame of mind to show a loving and generous spirit... Rather than a grouchy, short tempered and 'I'd rather go back to bed' spirit. In fact Sunday mornings have almost become a game between myself and my wife of who can stay in bed the longest and still get out of the house in time for Church... I think I'm currently winning!

I love my Church fellowship, they are loving people who care about each other and the Lord, it is a great place of love and inspiration and as I wrote in another post, a real 'Place to call home'...sometimes though, it can be a challenge to put aside my own desire for my bed or selfish wants and make that effort to go. After a long and busy week at work it might seem like a good idea to use the 'day of rest' to do just that.

These are just excuses, and bad ones at that, is it too much for God to ask for a few hours of our time and perhaps an early start, to spend time with Him and His people? Although, I will say that there may well be times when you feel exhausted, when you really need need to actually rest, recharge, refocus etc. If that's the case, then don't be afraid to take that time of rest you need...but try not to make too much of a regular habit of it.

Going to Church shouldn't be a sacrifice, or an order... It should be something we truly want to do... Which despite my occasional grumbling and moaning, it is; it is a joy and a privilege to be able to meet with my brothers and sisters in Christ and spend time with God...but sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder if a lie-in wouldn't be more conducive to a less grouchy me... But then I remember that it is God that inspires me to be better, to be more gracious and forgiving... Even when I'm shattered...any excuses to not get up and go to Church when I'm not working come from my own weakness and the enemy's lies.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:25

And if I need a reminder of the greatness of God, and how no matter how tired I am...he will never tire:

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." - Isaiah 40:28

Now I know that you don't technically have to go to Church to be a Christian... But Church is not just about the benefits we can get, it's about encouraging and building each other up, it's about being a community that watches over each other with love and prayer. You may feel able to be strong and remain faithful at home, by yourself, but others may not, and will look to those around them for guidance, encouragement and example.

Church after the Pandemic (new section added for 2022)

I was revisiting this post for a bit of inspiration, to help me refocus and get myself back on track a bit. My attendance at Church hasn't been amazing lately, part of that is unavoidable due to my restrictive shift pattern at work. But honestly there are times when I could make it, and choose not to. The excuses I use are varied and sometimes not particularly convincing. But it's worth mentioning the effect the recent pandemic has had on Church as we know it. Before Churches around the world had to close, due to the social distancing rules and requirements, Sunday morning Church routine was well established by most Church goers. Live streaming/online worship wasn't even considered by many Churches, but it became the only way that many faith communities could meet and experience worship together. Some of us got used to not having to get up early, or even get dressed to go to Church. We/I (speaking from experience) really lost the habit of the established routine. It's caused many people to question whether they need to physically attend a Church building and be part of a physical worshipping community. Now things have reopened, we seem to be pretty much back to normal, but not everyone has decided to return to physical in person worship, for a variety of reasons. The Church, as a whole, has taken a real hit, as has many businesses and organisations. Speaking to myself here; it's time to put the excuses away, rebuild those habits that we may have lost, return, as we are able to in person worship, for our own good, and the good of our individual church communities and the wider, worldwide Church. As I wrote above, others in your Church community may look to you for encouragement and inspiration, as you may look to others....the Church needs you, and even though you may not realise it, you need a physical Church community and other believers around you.

Online worship is great, and a really good way of making services accessible to everyone, whether you're working during the physical service, or unable to attend due to ill health, mobility issues etc, but we really need to be careful not to let it replace actually physically meeting together.

You are the Church!

Be the Church...drag yourself out of bed if that's what it takes...even when you'd rather sleep in. You may not feel that you have a place in the Church, or that you don't matter... but you do, your place, purpose, mission and gifts are what makes the Church what it is, without them it is much, much poorer.

I recently wrote a post that focuses on this in greater detail, which you might find helpful:

'The one and only you!'

"Your Church, wherever it is, whatever form it takes; is unique. It has one thing that no other Church in the world has...it has you!"
http://inspiredbyfaith88.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/im-christianget-me-out-of-here-part-3.html?m=1

So finally and as a summary:
Be the Church, be yourself, be the very best you can be, for yourself, for others and first and foremost for God.






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