Church: A Weekly Chore or Something More?
Hectic.
That is how most people describe their incredibly busy lives. More than likely, you are no exception. Perhaps all it takes is one glance at your calendar before your blood pressure skyrockets, and between work responsibilities, the social obligations to which you immediately regretted committing, extracurricular kids’ activities, and a never-ending onslaught of mundane errands, you feel stretched thin.
Because of this, your free time becomes a precious commodity, such that you find yourself zealously protecting your hours of leisure from anything that harbors even the slightest potential of intruding upon them.
Often, weekly assembly alongside other believers on Sunday mornings becomes of those “intruders.” We tell ourselves we’re too tired–there’s always next week, and besides, it’s not as if attending the Sunday service is the only possible way to connect with God.
Consequently, the Sunday service is put off until next week. And then the week after. And then the week after that, wouldn’t you know it, you’ve got a family event to go to. And so on and so forth.
This habit of neglect, which is so easy to fall into, stems from viewing the gathered assembly of believers not as a need–not as a key part of our spiritual nourishment and growth, or a vital source of connection and encouragement, or as the primary avenue through which God calls us to serve others and ultimately serve Him–but instead stems from viewing it as a mere obligation. Instead of being a ravenous and fervent want, it is a half-hearted and humdrum ought.
It is another responsibility, along with brushing one’s teeth each night or choosing to eat the salad instead of the fried chicken, that one must perform because it is a “good” thing to do and “good” for you.
The problem with viewing Sunday service participation in this manner, however, is that it allows for it to be easily put off if the willpower of the individual is low enough and the whim of the individual to do something more “fun” in place of the thing that is “good for you” is strong enough.
Thus, in the same way that one might refrain from brushing their teeth because they have already settled comfortably into bed and do not wish to muster the energy to get back up, or perhaps in the same way one may forgo the salad for the fried chicken because they can always start their healthy diet tomorrow, so too do we skip the weekly gathering in favor of sleeping in, or “recharging” our batteries, or in order to cook a big breakfast, or for any number of other things. And so long as we view it as an ought instead of a want, this will always be the case.
How, then, do we make this shift in our thinking? Unsurprisingly, the answer lies in scripture. God’s Word makes clear the powerful personal and communal benefits of attending the weekly worship service, which can be boiled down to encouragement, edification, and exaltation.
Encouragement
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
In this passage, the writer of Hebrews teaches us this point: the assembly of believers is where we go to give and receive love and encouragement.
Think about it. Life is a chaotic, ever-changing array of seasons. Throughout the course of a single year, we may experience periods of darkness as well as times of great joy. Hardships will arise in the form of attacks from the enemy–instances of spiritual warfare designed to hinder us in our walk with God–or simply by merit of our living in a fallen, sin-stained world.
In a world of instability, one of the few constants available to you is the tender care of the Church. Loving brothers and sisters in whom you can confide, seek counsel, and enlist to pray on your behalf. This supportive community is invaluable in every stage of life, whether it’s there to celebrate with you in your greatest blessings or to assist you in walking through life’s most devastating tragedies. There is also the principle that regularly neglecting to join other believers in assembling together prevents you from rendering this service to others, just as it deprives you from receiving it.
Edification
Colossians 3:16a
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.
Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
“Edification” sounds like a fancy word, but its meaning is simple. It refers to the process of being taught and transformed by Godly instruction, and as the two passages above demonstrate, it is a core component of the believers’ assembly.
In fact, listening as someone unpacks and then applies scripture is one of the most effective resources available that both equips you to grow closer with the Lord in your personal walk as well as spurs you on in your ministry and disciple-making–so much so that to regularly miss this is to resign yourself to a less vibrant, fulfilling relationship with the Lord and to be less effective in your service to him.
You gain something too wonderful to articulate when you join other members of God’s family in uncovering the sweetness of His Word. Suddenly, you know which encouraging scripture to share with your emotionally struggling neighbor. You hear the call of God more clearly when He prompts you to begin discipling your co-worker; you remember how Jesus led His disciples, and you follow suit. The health of your marriage improves as you take in scripture’s instructions on how husbands and wives are to honor each other. These are precious things.
Exaltation
Psalm 150:1-6
Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Ephesians 5:19
[B]e filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Exaltation refers to worshiping the Lord by verbally proclaiming His goodness, which is often done through song. Both of the above passages emphasize this as an important practice for the Body to do in community. In short, worshiping God in community with others is a key element of the Christian walk.
Some may read that and go on to wonder, “well, why is that the case? Why do I need to worship God? Or, why does God need to be worshiped?
To answer the latter question first, it is not as if God requires us to worship Him as we require something like water or food. He derives great pleasure from our worship, but He would be in no way deficient were He not to receive it.
As for why scripture is so adamant in calling us to gather together and do this, it is likely for our own benefit just as much as it is for God’s good pleasure. In Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis writes that “all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise.” He goes on to describe that the culmination, or “consummation,” of enjoyment has not occurred until it is verbally expressed, which is why a man praises the beauty of a woman, the art enthusiast excitedly tells his friends about the latest piece he’s just observed, and the reader must tell her friends about the page-turner she has most recently devoured. Our joy from any given object or person is not made complete until we express it–that is why it comes so naturally to us to tell others about the things that make us happy.
Lewis argues that God is aware of this human trait, and, knowing this, as well as knowing that He is the chief source of joy in the universe (with absolutely nothing else having the potential to fill us up more than He can), He then makes the edict that we are to worship Him.
Follow the train of thought, here:
Verbal expression is the final step in the process of enjoying any given thing.
God is the most fulfilling and joy-inducing thing in the universe.
Worship is the verbal expression to others and to God of the joy we receive from God.
Worshiping God alongside others enables us to revel in the joy of the Lord, which is a joy greater than any other.
We will live most joyfully when we worship alongside others.
Attending the weekly assembly is not a chore. It is not an obligation to dutifully check off your list, or, if possible, avoid. It is the power epicenter of the Christian walk, the well from which to draw every week in order to fill your courage as you brave the chaos of life and ministry, your knowledge as you draw closer to the Lord and learn to apply the sweetness of His word to your everyday life, and your joy as you express His awe-inspiring majesty through worship.
