| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Stay strong” Our Bible verse for today: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Fellowship makes us stronger” When I think about how important it is for Christians to be part of a good church family and to faithfully attend the gatherings of the church, my thoughts often go to Psalm 122:1. There we read of King David expressing the joy he experienced at the thought of joining with his brothers and sisters as they gathered together in the house of the Lord. Why did the thought of going to church elicit such feelings of joy and eager expectation in David? Because gathering with the faithful was such a renewing and uplifting experience for him. David was a man after God’s own heart. He certainly had lots of private worship times when it was just him and God, but gathering with others in corporate praise and worship was worship on another level. David was stronger and better for having been a part of it. In the first church I was the Pastor of (Bancroft Baptist in Spring Valley, CA), there was a couple named Bob and Carol. By the time I got to know them Bob was already dying from emphysema. He was on oxygen 24/7, needed assistance with most basic life tasks, and went everywhere in a wheelchair. But Bob and Carol were there virtually every Sunday no matter what. Once, Carol explained to me how labor-intensive it was to get Bob ready for church and to actually get him there at all. It was exhausting for him and for her. But they did it every Sunday anyway because it was such an important part of their week. They both told me that gathering with their church family on Sunday morning was the best part of the week for them because it was so encouraging and uplifting. That then prepared them for the rest of the week. As Bob’s disease progressed it required more and more effort on both of their parts to be there on Sunday. But they were there, right up until a few weeks before Bob died. At that point he simply couldn’t get out of bed anymore and so, I brought church to them by going to visit in their home. We would talk about the songs we sang, the main points of the sermon, and about things going on in the life of the church. To his dying day church attendance was important to Bob. It made him better. It made him stronger. That should be true for all of us as well. I encourage you not to miss the gatherings of your church family. Your church is a gift to you from God. We’re better together. We’re stronger together. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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