You cannot discover new oceans unless you have courage to lose sight of the shore.
As church attendance numbers fade across the nation and online services become very convenient, it’s important to remember why church attendance for you and your family matters so much.
You can’t serve from your sofa. You can’t have community of faith on your sofa. You can’t experience the power of a room full of believers worshiping together on your sofa.
Christians aren’t consumers. We are contributors. We don’t watch. We engage. We give. We sacrifice. We encourage. We do life together.
The church needs you. And you need the church. Wherever you are, find a church where you and your family can be part of the body of Christ and use your talents to advance the kingdom and reach others. Come alongside one another. While I’m grateful for technology to keep people connected who can’t physically come to church or need to be away, it’s absolutely not like the real thing. Never will be. Yes, church on the sofa is nice. But it’ll never be the same as church in person.
The strategy of some churches over the last 40 or 50 years and most notably, within the last twenty years is to try to make people feel good about themselves when they leave church on Sunday. But should trying to make you feel good about yourself really be the strategy and the goal of the church? I would rather know how you feel about God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Are you fascinated and amazed by Him? Are you captivated and consumed with His beauty? Does the Truth of God’s Word resonate in your soul and motivate you to Godly actions?
Do yourself a favor. Do what is absolutely and infinitely and incomparably the greatest, most loving, most fulfilling thing you can do for your soul: fixate and rivet your heart on the all-satisfying splendor and glory of God as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.
Literally, every article I have read that makes reference to 2020 begins with something along the lines of: “One thing is certain, we are all glad to see the year 2020 go.” I don’t know about you, but I can speak for myself when it comes to 2020. God has met and abundantly exceeded every expectation I had for the year. His blessings are real.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen,” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Some people say church is not supposed to be fun, but really, who says that? A few years ago, a pastor told me if I wasn’t stomping on toes I wasn’t doing my job. Well, in all due respect, (which means that none is forthcoming) that’s not my job - it’s the Holy Spirit’s job. From what I’ve been hearing, we’ve had some toes get crushed and some nervous sweating going on, so let’s all Praise the Lord for those toes and sweat because Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Happy New Year everyone!
May God bless you.
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Kevin Cernek is senior pastor of Martintown Community Church.
