Church and Soul Food #5

Yesterday was Sunday, and we made it to church!  Yes, it was hectic.  We still have to work on the getting there part (future posts, maybe?).  I am so glad we did, though, and here's 
some more nourishment for the soul and reason #5 to get to church...

{5.  Church Renews Our Purpose}

Church is a place I am encouraged and reminded to let go of my mess-ups from the previous week and look forward to the week ahead.  On a lighter side, parents, we are talking about a free hour of childcare, Christian education, and socializing for your kids!  Even if you don't have kids, church is a place to just take a break from the demands of this world and relax in God's presence.

¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Philippians 2:13

Sure, I can set my own weekly agenda and leave it to chance.  If you want to know what that feels like and looks like just come along for the ride my family takes TO church.  It's a clear illustration of why God has a better agenda for me, and for all of us.  

Church is a regularly scheduled reminder of God's path for my life.  I don't know about you, but I need reminders.  I may fall into my pew feeling like something the cat drug in, but I leave feeling renewed and inspired.  Church helps me hear God's voice so I can act on His amazing love in faith. 

In thinking about who might read my posts on church, I realize that going to church is easier said than done for some.  Being able to go to church and worship God is a blessing and a privilege, sadly, not possible for everyone, for one reason or another.  The good news, though, is that worshiping God on a weekly basis is not about a physical building.

Worshiping God is about giving Him the time and devotion He deserves, being an active part of His family of believers.  Having a church building where everyone can meet is nice, but God is much bigger than any building.  He is in the most likely of places and the most unlikely of places.  He will come to each of us, be with us, and hear us wherever we call on His glorious name! 

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank you for your universal and unconditional love and forgiveness.  Thank you for being with me wherever I am and hearing my prayers.  I pray you will work in me, willing me to act each and every day to fulfill Your good purpose in my life.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, I pray,

Amen 



May God wrap His arms around you today and always,

This post is part of a series on going to church.  For related posts, feel free to use the links below.

1. Sundays and My Not So Silent Confession
2. Church and Soul Food #1- honor God and humble myself
3. Church and Soul Food #2- experience God's Holiness
4. Church and Soul Food #3- make the smartest decision
5. Church and Soul Food #4- join in Christ's family


Church and Soul Food #4

Yes.  I need church because it feeds my soul with food I can't find anywhere else.  Here's reason #4 for getting myself out the door on Sunday morning...

{3.  Church Brings Us Together As Family In Christ}

 As Christians, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, children of God our Father.  Being created by God, means we are all blessed with our own God-given gifts and purposes.  We are family.  When we are together as believers, God uses us to strengthen and encourage each other in the ways He knows we need it most.  He uses us to be His hands and His voice.  Who doesn't need a hug every now and then from God? 

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12

I find power in numbers at church.  There is something very uplifting and amazing about praying with so many other believers. 

At the same time, it can be overwhelming to find where you fit within a body of believers.  The thing that worked best for me was taking small steps at a time.  As I have mentioned, even though I have always wanted to be a part of a BIGGER faith, religion sort of intimidated me, and I allowed my mind to lump church into that.  I had to start with the gifts God gave me, and find ways to use them to serve through the church.  God truly takes care of the rest and starts making connections and opening doors, doors that are not limited to the walls of the church buildings.

With the love and support of our church family, a few small steps in faith can cultivate our souls for a faith that is stronger, always growing and thriving, and too big to be confined by space and time.  That's exactly what I am going for every day!        

A prayer for today-

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for making me part of the body of Christ.  Thank you for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I pray you will help me find my part in your big family, father.  Help me grow and thrive in my faith, and show me new ways I can serve You.

In the name of Christ I pray,

Amen

Love in Christ,

This post is part of a series on going to church.  For related posts, feel free to use the links below.

1. Sundays and My Not So Silent Confession
2. Church and Soul Food #1- honor God and humble myself
3. Church and Soul Food #2- experience God's Holiness
4. Church and Soul Food #3- make the smartest decision
5. Church and Soul Food #5- renew your purpose

Church and Soul Food #3

I certainly can't speak for you, but I know I do some really dumb things every once in a while.  Going to church is never one of them.  Church is a place I can own up to all the dumb things I have done and all the smart things I haven't done.  That brings me to reason #3 for going to church and some more soul food...

{3.  Going to Church Is a SMART Decision}

I don't know it all when it comes to God, and I know I am a mess on my own.  The world is way too big, way too unpredictable, and way too unfair.  Church provides an opportunity to be still and hear what God has to say, and hopefully get a little smarter in my faith.

²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength...

1 Corinthians 1: 25-29

God is much smarter than me.   Thank goodness for that!  My dad used to always tell me as a kid, "Lindsay, pay attention."  It used to drive me crazy because I would think, "Okay, Dad.  Pay attention to what?"  Now, though, I can appreciate what he was saying.  Really, the dumb things I do ALWAYS happen when I have lost focus, when I am in my own little world, when I am not paying attention to God in my life.  The good news is that God forgives us.  We find God's power and wisdom when we are willing to own up to the dumb things we do, and He loves to turn dumb things into glorious examples of all the amazing, limitless things He can do in our lives when we let Him.  The key is placing all areas of our lives in His hands.  That is the smartest decision we could ever make!

A prayer for today-

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please forgive me for not paying attention to You in all that I do.  I am placing my life in your hands, God.  Today, I want to hand over _____________ so You can work it for good and Your glory.  Thank you, Lord, for hearing my weakness(es), forgiving me, and transforming me.

In Christ's Name I pray,

Amen

Hugs and thanks,

This post is part of a series on going to church.  For related posts, feel free to use the links below.

1. Sundays and My Not So Silent Confession
2. Church and Soul Food #1- honor God and humble myself
3. Church and Soul Food #2- experience God's Holiness
4. Church and Soul Food #4- join in Christ's family
5. Church and Soul Food #5- renew your purpose

Church and Soul Food #2

Why church?  Who needs it when my family rolls in feeling like something the cat drug in?  

ME.  

I need it BECAUSE I roll in feeling like something the cat drug in.  Here's reason #2 for going to church and more on the soul food I find there...

{2. Going to Church Is a Place to Experience God's Holiness}

You know, that day of rest God took for himself on the seventh day?  God not only rested, He made it HOLY (Genesis 2: 1-3).  I am no expert, but I think that means the Sabbath, the day of rest, is extra important for you and for me.  That brings me to another point.  I have to recognize that I am not in the business of holy things, but the ministers at my church have made God and His holiness their business.  They know more about observing HOLY days than I do.  For me, that's a big reason to go to church, to experience the HOLY day God intended for me.

 

Jesus assures us that when we gather together with Him in mind, He will be there with us (Matt 18:20).  I don't know about you, but I need a definite time and place to be with God to keep me grounded each week, and church is a place where that happens on a guaranteed basis (if that isn't the case, it's time to make a change).  I want God to fill me with His Holy Spirit and go to town in my heart.  He makes me a much better person than I make myself.  I can't go into the world and make a difference sharing God's love if I don't regularly and purposefully allow God to nourish my soul.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11: 28-30

  

I was thinking about this passage on Mother's Day.  As a mom, I find myself weary and burdened all the time!  I am a thankful and blessed woman, but that doesn't mean I don't get tired.  I imagine, I am not alone.  Any of us who choose to take our responsibilities, relationships, and professions to heart, are vulnerable to hitting a wall, feeling overwhelmed, and just wearing ourselves slap out.  And it seems to me, the more heart and soul we pour into what we do, the more vulnerable we become.  God knew this about His people.  That is why He created the Sabbath.  If God, in all of His divine glory, thought it was necessary to take a break from His work creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2: 1-3), then who am I to think I don't need to take a break too? 

A prayer for today-

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being my ever-present, LIVING God.  I pray you will work on my heart and soul and in my life, restoring me, energizing me, refreshing me with your Holy Spirit.  Help me bring glory to your Holy name.

In the name of Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen



Have a blessed day,

This post is part of a series on going to church.  For related posts, feel free to use the links below.

1. Sundays and My Not So Silent Confession
2. Church and Soul Food #1- honor God and humble myself
3. Church and Soul Food #3- make the smartest decision
4. Church and Soul Food #4-join in Christ's family

5. Church and Soul Food #5- renew your purpose

Church and Soul Food #1

Sure I could skip church.  I have.  Sure I could listen to the sermon online.  There are times I need to do that for one legitimate reason or another (more on that in another post).  But, I still haven't really answered my own question.  Do I really need to go to church?  YES.  I NEED church and so does the rest of my family.  Here's food for the soul and reason #1...

{1. Going to Church Honors God and Keeps Me in the Right Place (Humble)}

Having faith in God, means I have to act on it.  When I go to church, I am renewing my commitment to God each week, giving Him priority in my life.  I am taking time to praise Him with love songs and join with other believers in thanksgiving, acknowledging that all I have comes from God.  King David knew how important it was to honor and worship God in community with other believers, too.  As great a leader as he was, King David took the time to humble himself before God.

“Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
¹¹ Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.
¹² Wealth and honor come from you;
    you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
¹³ Now, our God, we give you thanks,
   and praise your glorious name.

¹⁴ “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

1 Chronicles 29: 10-14

The key word, for me, in reading David's words form 1 Chronicles 29 is HUMBLE.  David, this powerful, accomplished, and well-known king literally encourages the entire group of Israelites to bow down to God. 

²⁰ Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.

1 Chronicles 29: 20

The way the entire group of Israelites willingly and physically changes position, lowering themselves, to illustrate and honor God's significance in their lives, really stands out to me in this passage.  The people use a physical action, a change in their own positions at the current moment, letting go of their own importance as established people, to show God they know who is really boss in their lives.  David, himself, ruler that he is, makes deliberate effort to place himself before God to acknowledge God as his sovereign Lord and Savior.  And once David puts himself in the right place, he thanks God for it!  That, friends, is a powerful act of faith.

It gets me to thinking, what change in position, what physical action, do I need to take right now in my life for God?

A prayer for today-

Dear Lord and Savior,

Thank you for being my sovereign Lord and Savior.  I pray you will help me let go of those things that keep me from You and the abundant life you so graciously give those who follow You.  Change the things that need changing.  Help me find strength, through you, in my weaknesses.  Guide me to act on my faith.

In Your Holy Name I pray,

Amen

May God bless you,

This post is part of a series on going to church.  For related posts, feel free to use the links below.

1. Sundays and My Not So Silent Confession
2. Church and Soul Food #2-experience God's Holiness
3. Church and Soul Food #3-make the smartest decision
4. Church and Soul Food #4-join in Christ's family
5. Church and Soul Food #5- renew your purpose





Sundays and My Not So Silent Confession

Yesterday was Sunday.  A day for rest.  God himself rested from his works on the seventh day and made it holy (Genesis 2:2-3).  Now comes the confession part.  On any given Sunday, I am pretty sure my house is a far cry from the regularly scheduled Sabbath God intended for us.  I am sure you all are better at Sundays than we are in my house.

Let me (despite my embarrassment) just be honest and give you a look at Sundays for us.  Since yesterday was Mother's Day and an exception to a regular Sunday, let's just take a look at a few Sunday's ago.  My alarm went off at 6:30 AM.  Chip, my husband, had been out of town since Wednesday morning.  I was so exhausted from being a one woman show all week, and I had to practically prop my eyes open with toothpicks to get going.  Ugggh, I thought.  Did I really need to go to church?   Chip wasn't there to help me get the boys ready, and I knew getting them ready on my own was no small task.  Plus, I didn't look forward to sitting by myself for worship.  I was missing my sidekick.

I did my morning devotional, and by the time I finished, all three boys had joined me in bed.  My anxiety about getting it all done was building.  Over breakfast, I made it a point to stress my expectations for the morning.  I made it clear I needed them to help me so we could all get to church and get there on time (at least I thought I had).  I cleaned up from breakfast, ironed everyone's clothes, dressed my toddler, and jumped in for a record breaking, quick shower.  As soon as I cut the water off, I could hear the boys hootin' and hollerin', having a good ol' time down the hall.  Would you believe, they were jamin' to Kidz Bop and pillow fighting with their bean bags?  I was sure a tornado had come through their room.  Both big boys were still in pajamas, beds unmade, freshly ironed clothes piled in the floor, and we needed to walk out the door in 10 minutes.  In keeping it real, I have to tell you, at that point, I wanted to throw in the towel.

So I did one of those things I never wanted to do as a parent.  I started yelling and crying at the same time!  You know, it was a hysterical, desperate, "I am so disappointed.  You better be ready in 10 minutes if you know what's good for you" kind of lecture.  The truth is, those boys hurt my feelings that morning when they decided to completely ignore my pleas and do their own thing instead.  Then, I grabbed the little one and shut my bedroom door to finish getting ready and calm myself down in a forced kind of peace.

The car ride wasn't any better because I was still fuming and the boys still weren't listening or helping.  Plus, now we were all in a confined space so they were arguing to beat the band.  I forced them to silence and blasted the praise and worship music.  I was thinking we could all use a little "come to Jesus" time, and I was hoping a little gospel music would do the trick.  Then, right before we got to church, I cut the music off so I could remind them just one more time (in case I had not been clear) how upset I was with their choices.  And that, friends, is how we rolled into church.  I'd like to tell you that experience was a rare occurrence, but it happens in some way, shape, or form, often.

I am sure you and yours probably pop out of bed with enthusiasm, focus, and determination for worshiping God.  You manage a nice family breakfast together.   Everybody is excited to get ready for church.  You all make it leisurely out the door with all necessary hygiene items done and needed articles of clothing in place.  Next, you probably get to enjoy a peaceful car ride in which everyone gets along.  Then, every family member arrives eager and ready to praise God and grow in his/her faith.  Finally, you continue the day in fellowship together and with others more grounded in your faith and ready to act on God's grace and love in the world.  You, I am sure, cannot relate to my own Sunday morning chaos.

I am determined to change the Sunday morning dreadfulness in my family.  It is really ridiculous.  Otherwise, at the rate we are going, who wants to go to church?  I can find a million excuses (it's raining, I'm tired, the kids may be coming down with a little something, I don't want to go by myself, or even I would rather...) in order to avoid the predictable, unpredictable and unpleasant craziness in getting ready for church.  We just need to reinvent our Sunday morning routines.  I have to realize though, it's the getting there that's the problem.  Once we are there, there's guaranteed food for the mind, body, and soul.  And that "soul food" is well worth the effort.

I/we are clearly the problem, not God, because He delivers every time we show up.  There's a reason there's a deliberate and announced quiet time prior to our Sunday church service to "prepare our hearts and minds for worship."  If you go to church with us, you have probably, at one time or another, seen us flying through the doors after the music has started, feeling like something the cat drug in.  The reality is, though, no matter how ridiculous our morning has been before we walk through our church doors, I always walk away feeling refreshed and thankful I came.  Church has "soul food" you can't find 
anywhere else.  I just have to get there.

More on the "soul food" we find at church in posts this week, but too much good stuff for one post...Come back for more later.  :)

I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and comments on Sunday morning routines that ARE working in your house.  Clearly, the way our house gets out the door needs some work.  We are like herding a bunch of wild animals out the door!

A prayer for today-

Dear Lord and Savior,

Forgive me for letting my ways of doing things get in the way of following and serving You.  Help me to acknowledge and change the routines in my life that need work.  Strengthen my faith and my family with Your grace.  Transform our daily habits and words to be a reflection of Your perfect love, Lord.

In the name of Jesus, I pray,

Amen

Love of Christ fill you,



This post is part of a series on going to church.  For related posts, feel free to use the links below.

1.  Church and Soul Food #1-honor God and humble myself
2. Church and Soul Food #2-experience God's Holiness
3. Church and Soul Food #3-make the smartest decision
4. Church and Soul Food #4- join in Christ's family
5. Church and Soul Food #5- renew your purpose