What about Worship on Vacation?
For two weeks my wife and children are/will be on fall break. During this time we typically take some type of vacation out of town. If you are like us, a part of your plan includes trying to figure out where you are going to worship on Sunday and what you will do for some type of mid-week Bible study. This set of circumstances begs the question, “What are the correct attitudes and practices concerning worship for Christians when they are temporarily away from home?”
First of all, we need to educate ourselves on what God’s word reveals about our duties for worship. It should not take much study for us to figure out that Sunday is the Lord’s Day, and that our highest achievement or experience every week is to gather with the saints on the first day of the week, worship the God of heaven, and remember the sacrifice of Christ. That being said, let’s remind ourselves that God is also in Florida or wherever else we might be at any time and for any occasion. Faithful Christians will make arrangements to worship the Lord every Sunday.
Secondly, we need to realize that the occasion that calls us away might dictate the choices we have for worship on Sunday or for some form of mid-week assembly. There are no set times for worship, only Sunday as an absolute. A second Sunday gathering or a midweek service is required of us insomuch as the eldership and congregation in which we are locally organized has made plans to come together (but shouldn’t we desire them?). My understanding of Hebrews 10:24-25 has always been that Christians should make every effort possible to assemble with the local church of which they are a part on every occasion that church has decided to meet together. “Forsaking” is a conscious choice to not attend our local assembly when one has the ability to be there but has simply chosen to do something else.
So let me just quickly share with you how this next week will go for me and my bunch. Although we won’t miss a Sunday at home, we will be looking for a place where the church meets for a midweek study. Based on the commonality of the brotherhood with regard to midweek opportunities, it will most likely be Wednesday night when we find a local church to attend. If we do not find one, we are not forsaking the assembly, since there is no assembly. But we should seek one! If we don’t find one, we will make it our personal choice to have a family Bible study hour in order to remember God and receive the spiritual benefits of coming together as a family to study his word and praise His name in song and prayer.
I believe there is a point to all of this that hopefully satisfies the mind and heart of God. (I would remind the reader here that God is the only one we are trying to please anyway). God is always first place. To plan and make the effort to remember Him and worship Him is the key. It is important for us not to get too bogged down on times and places for worship that we have traditionally become so accustomed to that it makes us think we are sinning if we don’t do it exactly that way. The main thing is that, no matter where we are, we are supposed to be faithful in our relationship with the Lord. It is impossible to forsake the assembly if there is no assembly. At the same time, no Sunday should go by in which we cease to worship our Creator and remember what Jesus did for us on the cross and partake of the supper which He commanded and instituted for us.
I am thankful for all of the faithful members of my spiritual family who always make plans to worship the Lord even when they are away from home. I am thankful for a physical family who loves the Lord and doesn’t want to ever miss the first day of the week assembly or an opportunity for midweek Bible study. Being a Christian and worshiping the Lord are still the two greatest privileges this side of heaven.
“And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.” – Hebrews 6:3
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AUTHOR: Jeremiah Tatum
