God, our gracious Creator, has gifted mankind with 168 hours every week to use as we choose. A large number of those hours need to be devoted to our bodily requirement of rest and a significant additional portion to our physical need of preparing and eating food, tending to our home, and our hygiene. For a large portion of our life, we devote many waking hours weekly to our job or schooling. Our discretionary time can be filled with relationships, hobbies and amusements, sports, and the largely time-wasting activities of television, the internet, social media, online games, etc. But the Lord requests that we give back to Him just one of those 168 hours to spend in corporate worship with other believers. It’s not much. Yet it’s hard to imagine a single hour that has the potential, week in and week out, to make a qualitative difference in our lives.
When I have the privilege of welcoming our congregation (the live attendees and the online worshipers), I often remind them that the purpose of our gathering is—to use the metaphor of our automobiles—to “refill our spiritual tanks” …or for those who have made the EV switch…to “recharge our spiritual batteries”! Just as operating our vehicles depletes the stored energy and requires renewal, our daily life can drain us of our spiritual energy, focus, and motivation.
That is why, generation after generation for thousands of years, it has proven to be invaluable for believers to gather together every seven days. This was, in fact, so important to our self-maintenance that God included the command to set aside a Sabbath day of worship each week in His listing of the “Big Ten,” the foundational principles for all of life and society.
Therefore, when we invite you to worship with us on a Saturday night or Sunday morning, we are encouraging you to give up just one of your 168 hours, not for our benefit but for yours. You need this time. It makes you a stronger Christian (and, by extension, a better spouse, a better parent, a better worker, and a better friend). I believe worship is just that crucial.
Can we worship God alone? Certainly, it is possible. But even the brightest and best educated, even the seminary-trained Bible scholars, find it challenging to replenish their faith alone. We fall into ruts and patterns, lose our full perspective, and drift. That is why we benefit greatly from other believers’ input, insights, and encouragement. Pastoral messages and songs from a soloist or choir can touch our minds and hearts, and bring renewal, strength, and comfort to us. So please, for your sake and the sake of those you love, don’t let yourself fall into the bad habit of neglecting weekly worship. It is designed with you in mind.
by Pastor Doug Pratt
