Abandoning, Cramming, or Prioritizing
What are your plans for this coming Sunday? If you are reading these words on the day or during the week that they are posted, Sunday is a special day. It is the day during which followers of Jesus gather for worship. According to the New Testament and history, this weekly practice has continued for over twenty centuries.
This coming Sunday is the Lord’s day. This past Sunday was the Lord’s day. As long as the world continues, every Sunday will be the Lord’s day.
“But, I thought you were talking about Christmas,” somebody might say. “I thought that Christmas Day was the special day you had in mind.”
The holiday season is, indeed, special for a lot of reasons. Nothing I am writing here is meant to come across as being an old grouch who doesn’t enjoy many of the things that happen this time of year. I hope I never get old enough to not smile at the excitement and awe in the eyes of small children during this season. I will always treasure times when families get together. I am intrigued by how newer families learn to “blend” the holiday traditions with which they were familiar during their growing up years. The meals, the gift-giving, the decorations, the mess that has to be cleaned up, and so much more are all a part of this thing we call Christmas.
I’d like for all of us to take a moment to think about where Christ fits into our plans for next Sunday. How are we going to handle all of the activities, responsibilities, scheduling, etc. of a holiday that has His name in? How will we do that on a day that is His day?
Sadly, I fear that some will abandon the practice of gathering with the saints to worship in favor of celebrating with family and friends. Some of these same people seem to have no problem abandoning the practice of worship when they travel, have a special sporting event to go to, are involved in a work or school activity, etc. It seems that the Lord’s day really has become their day.
Next Sunday, others probably will do some cramming. Some of the family traditions and our obligation as Christians will, in some way, be crammed together. I guess that some of that is unavoidable and inevitable. We will want the day to be one of special special memories for our families, but we also know we are expected every Lord’s day to worship Him and remember Him as we partake of the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:24-25).
Hopefully, in whatever way we choose to arrange things this next week and every week, we will prioritize meeting with our fellow Christians and worshiping the One whose name we wear. Inevitably, whatever gifts we give or receive next week will wear out, become unfashionable, obsolete, etc.
The gift that God gave us when His Son came to earth and the salvation that Jesus offers are the only things of true value and which will matter in eternity. I pray that all of us will remember that during this next week — and always.
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
