With every life comes great blessings, and of course, some unpleasant and even devastating trials. Some of the so-called ‘downers’ may be physical, emotional, or economical. They can arise from damaged relationships, career disappointments and dozens of other areas. The list is lengthy and no two people will experience the exact same things.
When considering experiences in spiritual realm, those who are heavily involved in full or part-time ministry, or even in the upper leadership positions in a local church, also go through times of great highs and sometimes equally difficult lows within the body of believers to whom they are connected.
Oddly enough, perhaps one of the best examples is a phenomenon that revolves around the Easter season. Obviously, resurrection Sunday is typically the single greatest morning of the 52 Sundays on the yearly church calendar. The momentum usually begins to build around Christmas. Sometimes that interest tapers off for a time due to weather issues in areas where months like January and February can be truly brutal. But by Palm Sunday, and then of course the grandest morning of all, resurrection Sunday, it all peaks and comes together in a special and unique fashion - and rightfully so.
Christ’s crucifixion and subsequent resurrection from the dead to prove His deity is the cornerstone and foundation of the faith. Nothing can top it or replace the reality of God’s love, Christ’s sacrifice, and the miraculous power evidenced in the resurrection. Again, It is the highlight and pinnacle of the Christian faith and the ultimate display of God’s love for fallen man.
For obvious reasons, churches generally experience their finest hour of the year on Easter morning. The faithful are all there.
The good news, especially for those who rarely attend, is that there is at least that rare opportunity for them to hear the “Good News” of salvation in Christ. And typically, most pastors are keenly aware of their isolated chance to present the living words of Scripture that can literally change the life and eternal destiny of a lost sinner as Paul recorded in Romans 10:17. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That opportunity truly is good news. It is beyond exciting just to know what is at stake and what could occur even during just that one short hour or two if the words are right, the heart is open, and the Holy Spirit at work!
But following this greatest and busiest of all church days then comes what is sometimes known in pastoral and church-related circles as “Low Sunday”. It is not that Christ’s resurrection is any less exciting, effective, or meaningful than it was the previous week – especially if salvation has visited a local assembly on that day. And it is not that those came to Christ, or their loved ones, have forgotten what occurred just seven short days earlier. But the reality remains that the Sunday following resurrection Sunday is typically the lowest attended service of the entire year. It feels to church leaders like a form of attendance whiplash. This very real issue sometimes leads pastors like the one below to reveal his feelings like this one did on his blog.
“My fears were confirmed this week when I went to church. Just seven days ago, I was enthralled in the excitement of a spectacular Easter celebration service. The choir was lively, the music was grand, the message was direct, and the congregation showed up in record numbers (we had to add an extra service). Smiles were everywhere as I was greeted, visitors were abundant, and from the look of the giant games and activities in the parking lot, the kids’ church appeared to be competing with Disney Land.”
The inner feelings and reflections of this one local shepherd are felt throughout the nation and probably in church settings world-wide. And the phenomenon has probably been in place almost as long as there has been an organized church. So as exciting, meaningful and productive as Easter morning may be, the truth remains that it is almost always followed one week later by its greatest numerical low point.
For the church pastoral staff and leadership who face this ‘downer’ each year, they must depend on God to ‘minister through it’. They must try to keep their heads above spiritual waters and resist the temptation of just ‘going through the motions’. They must pray, prepare and prove to the ‘regulars’ that each and every Lord’s day is vitally important regardless of where it falls on the calendar and who, or who does not, come and worship the Lord even on that so-called “Low Sunday”.
The life of any Christian encompasses many aspects and God’s word has made clear what He expects His people to do and not do. One major ingredient is faithfulness. And in that crucial category, few things are more important to Him than what the writer of Hebrew recorded. He shares in no uncertain terms that attending of God’s house is not optional and to be done just when it is convenient, easy, seasonal, or just feels right on a given day. Hebrews 10:23-25 records God’s command as follows. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Some Christians have taken advantage of God’s great salvation but don’t seem to grasp the that there are consequences involved when they avoid coming to His house for fellowship and instruction and inspiration. They miss out on numerous blessings and place self-imposed limits on their own spiritual growth. They forgo the joy of associating with others of like faith and becoming close with their spiritual family through personal contact and prayer.
The reality is that every part of a local spiritual body is crucial and their absence effects both themselves and those they distance themselves from when they fail to attend. They may not see it like that, but God does as Paul revealed in his first letter to the young Corinthian church. “But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:24-26)
Every member of God’s family is important. Their regular presence is an encouragement to others when they come, worship together, and use their God-give spiritual gifts, and build one another up ‘as they see the Day approaching.”
Bill Breckenridge
No comments:
Post a Comment