You're invited!

I Really Am Thrilled When People Go To Church... No Kidding!

This past week a friend said to me, “I’m thinking of going to church this Sunday.”

I said, “I would be THRILLED if you did that.”

My use of the word “thrilled” was not, in any way, an exaggeration.  I really would be thrilled by my friend’s attendance at church.  I would be thrilled because I care so deeply for this person.  And I would be thrilled because a church (which is technically people, not buildings) is blessed whenever new people come to share in the experience of worship.

Perhaps this goes without saying, but I will say it, anyhow.  I would be thrilled if any of you who live in the Chicagoland area would come to our services today, as well!  We have been planning and praying and we are already believing God has a terrific blessing in store for us!

First Church of God

4600 W. 111^th Street

Oak Lawn, IL

Services at 9am and 11am

A Woman Who Was Flustered

I was waiting for Rachel, standing outside the restrooms at Walmart. A woman approached me and she had something in her hand.

She said, "What do you do on Sunday mornings?" And as she was asking me the question she extended a couple of pamphlets to me. The pamphlets explained Christian teaching on a couple of topics and they functioned as invitations to the church she attends.

I smiled and said, "Well, I'm tied up on Sunday mornings because I'm a pastor of a church."

It was fairly obvious she wasn't expecting that response. She stammered and smiled and looked like she was about to say something then changed her mind. After some verbal stumbling she finally said, "Well, you can go ahead and come on by anyhow."

I realized she knew that was a silly response on her part. She was flustered because she hadn't been given any training on what to say in the event that the recipient of the pamphlets turns out to be a minister.

I said, "I think my congregation would be a little confused if I told them I was going to possibly start attending another church on Sunday mornings."

We both laughed.

I said, "Do you want your pamphlets back?"

She said, "No, you can...um... well... why don't you... or... that is... you can hang on to them... um... in case you change your mind."

As she walked away I waved and thought, "She's still flustered."

Why He Doesn't Go To Church

I read a blog a couple of weeks ago in which a fairly well-known Christian author wrote about choosing not to attend church services very often.  The reasons he gave for not going to church primarily had to do with himself and whether or not church provided a benefit to him.  He had determined that it was not enough of a benefit so he does not attend church very often.

Obviously, it’s a good thing for participation in church to have some benefit.  I understand how that would be an issue for everyone who attends church.  It’s pretty hard to argue with that point.  However, our participation in a church is not just about whether there is something in it for us.  It is also about God and gathering with other believers to worship Him.  It is also about our encouragement of others and our service to others.

A Christian faith primarily focused on “what’s-in-it-for-me?” is not what I find when I read the Bible attempting to understand what the church is all about.