Circuit Thoughts

Have you got your turkey out yet? You know it takes time to get that to thaw so you can roast it and be ready for the Thanksgiving celebration. But, after the carcass has been cleaned, and the leftovers have been placed in the fridge, or sent home with the kids, what do you do now?

Might I make a suggestion?

How about resolving to getting back to church this coming Sunday?

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is the time of preparation for the birth of Christ. There are four Sundays in Advent, and it ends on the 24th of December. This is a busy time for the church and for many others.

I know, many of you will be shopping, either online or at the actual stores. Some will be considering the decorations for your house. There may even be some planning the Christmas gatherings and shopping for the parties. Our families will be working out schedules as to who needs to be where and at what time. The next four weeks are going to be remarkably busy.

The problem with all that busyness is that we forget the child. I propose that you and I take steps to not let the Christ child languish by the roadside. Here is how we do that.

Get to church (please tell me you knew that was coming). While you plan your Christmas itinerary, make Sunday mornings (or whatever your Lord’s Day/Sabbath is) the priority. Make it a priority to get you and your family to church.

Quite frankly we have run out of excuses. There is no reason to not be in church on a regular basis. We just need to stop making excuses and do whatever it takes to get back into the habit of attending. Hebrews 10:23-24, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Even the writer of Hebrews is telling us to stop with the excuses. We are called to gather as the body of Christ, and to gather regularly.

We gather to encourage, to assist, to lift up one another while giving glory to God. If we profess Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we need to attend to his body, the church.

So, yes, we need to start getting back into the church, and not just for the holidays. Church needs to be a priority whenever and wherever we are. If you can’t be at your home church, there are plenty of places of worship to visit.

And if you know of any that can’t make it to church, go to them and have church, for wherever two or three are gathered, (you can read the rest in Matthew 18:20). The point is, if you call yourself a follower of Christ, then FOLLOW. Get to church.

All right I’ve said my peace, I pray you have a wonderful holiday and I hope to…

See you in church.