Mt first reaction and question about yesterday was: “Where was everybody?” As we continue to journey through the 40 Days of Community. People choose to not gather in community to worship. Now I know we are at the start of the cold season and there were a lot of people who needed to take a much-needed long weekend or vacation or work on Sunday’s. 

What I am talking about is more of a nonchalant view of gathering in a community faith for celebration of the Risen Jesus Christ that has infused our culture. I read somewhere that average church attendance is only once a month. REALLY? People who only attend once a month are not even connected and they only attend that one Sunday to make themselves feel better (my opinion). I am reminded of what it says in Hebrews 10: 24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” So the question remains, do we allow our culture define what regular attendance is or do we look to God’s Word? I choose God’s Word! My heart is that all people are connected to Jesus Christ AND His body. I see this as a both and issue not an either or issue.

Being a small growing into a medium sized church, sometimes Sunday’s like this are brutal. Well.. not sometimes, they are! The reason why they are so hard on me is because I am confident that Jesus will transform hearts and lives for those who are connected and when people choose not to connect, there is little if any transformation.

So what do I do with all this? First of all is pray. Pray that those who are choosing to not connect on a regular basis, connect. Second, for some cases it may require hard conversations. Lastly (and probably more importantly), as a follower of Jesus, I need to take more seriously the command in scripture to reach out to those who are disconnected to Jesus. I have to take the sermon I preached yesterday and preach it to myself over and over and over again. Ya know, Jesus said He will build His church, I just need to be faithful to His message!