Tuesday, May 20, 2008

When I am gone

Come let us reason together. When I am gone, please do not skip church. Worship attendance is important, no matter who is preaching. I am sorry that I have been out of the pulpit, but I have been sick. I plan to preach this Sunday, May 25th. I hope that you will be there. If you are at the lake for Memorial day, find a church to attend at the lake.

When we join the church, we promise to be loyal to our church and to support it by our prayers, presence, gifts and service. The presence part is what I am talking about today. When we say we will be present at church, we are saying that we will be in worship unless we are sick or out of town. We want to avoid the attitude that says, "oh, should I go to church, or should I not?"

Your church family is very important. We are a fellowship. We are the body of Christ. Everyone matters and your presence is very important.

Come to worship. Sing. Pray. Meet people. Make new friends. Share God's love. Get something from the sermon, regardless who is preaching.

You have done well the last three weeks. Attendance has held up well, but I heard a story the other day about someone who skipped church because Jeff was not doing the sermon. Hmm......... This is not the kind of people that I want us to be. Let's teach our children that worship is important. Let's be a person whose presence makes a joyful difference to others. We can only do that if we are there. We have four services this Sunday: 8:00, 9:05, 10:10 and 11:15.

We have an awesome church, because the people that attend WCC are awesome. Our church is an important place because you make it so. I am planning to preach on Sunday, but that really should not matter. Let's encourage one another to make important that which is important.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jeff, while this may not be what you want to hear, it’s the truth with me, and probably with many other people.

You “fill me up” when you preach, and, while that may be selfish, it’s what I selfishly need for my outlook, my attitude, and my soul. Maybe someday, if I get full enough of you, then I could fill others . . . but right now, no one else does that for me. God really does work through you, and it’s an amazing and awesome feeling that we get from Him through you. So, while we try to attend worship with others preaching, we are “filled up” by you.

I enjoy our church, but, plainly, it is you that fills my heart and mind with the good stuff that makes me think, appreciate, and pontificate what is important. I thank God for you, because I am a better person and lead a more appreciative, Godly life because of you. I know God works through people, and He definitely works through you for many of us.

Maybe it is selfish of me, but you have to pat yourself on the back and know that you are successful at what you do and loved by many.