Growing up, my family went to church a lot. I mean A LOT.
Friday night was prayer and Bible study (once a month watch night prayer service ending at dawn).
Saturday morning was reserved for family devotion (a tradition I have continued with my wife and kids).
Saturday afternoon was for choir practice at church or youth group. Saturday evening was cell groups (kind of like home groups or life-groups).
Sunday morning was the usual church service and since that wasn’t enough we would come back for Sunday evening church.
On top of all of that, during the week, if I didn’t have homework we would attend the midweek Bible study. I’m not gonna lie, I longed for homework those days so I didn’t have to go to church. Again.
I wish I could tell you that at the time I was appreciative of attending church so frequently but I hated it. Overtime I came to enjoy it because the church became my family. We celebrated birthdays and holidays together but I was totally unaware of the seeds being sown into my spiritual bank account by our meeting together.
For some years my family was part of a church plant that shared a wall with an adult nightclub. Friday night prayer was crazy to say the least. I remember the pastor would tell the sound director to crank up the volume to tune out the club noise. And every body would pray even louder. Not gonna lie… sometimes we would all line up near the shared wall and pray (P.U.S.H.) that the club would vacate. Some Fridays after leaving church we would see all sorts of “artifacts” from the club in the parking lot.
When I look back at those days what I remember the most is being surrounded by people who desperately needed and wanted Jesus and were not afraid to admit it. I don’t remember many lessons that were taught but I caught many lessons by observing the prayer and faithfulness of many saints. What I didn’t realize all those years was that by being surrounded by people who searched wholeheartedly for God I was catching lessons that would help shape my entire life. It didn’t matter all too much what challenges I would walk through because I observed a group of people prevail through prayer and love. By my observation and practice I can grow confidently to think I can do it too.
Paul reminds us in Hebrews 10:25 “not to give 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.”
What he is saying is that something supernatural happens when we share physical space together. When we greet each other with a smile, give a hug or a handshake, we are Jesus to one another in word and deed. That’s who the church is. We embody Jesus to one another.
