There has been one constant since I was a little girl.
Being at church on Sunday mornings.
The pandemic interrupted my track record for a bit, but I got back as soon as they opened the doors.
I could have easily skipped church while I was in college…but it was so ingrained in me to go.
And trust me, I needed to be in God’s house during that time in my life.
I’m grateful that my parents made it part of my weekly routine early on, because it is part of the fabric of my life.
Now that I’m an adult, I’m not there for perfect attendance and no one is forcing me to go.
But as I’ve matured, my WHY for being at church has changed.
When I was a child, I was there to learn Bible stories and memorize verses. Donuts after church was a perk J
When I was a young adult, I was thirsty for fellowship and understanding biblical principles for life.
As an adult, I am there because I love it…the powerful worship, the people, the smiles, the encouragement, and most importantly, learning from the inspired word of God.
There is nowhere else I’d rather be on Sundays.
The Bible gives us reason to worship with other believers corporately:
To encourage each other (Hebrews 10:25), to honor God (Exodus 20:8), to build our faith (Romans 12:17), to sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17), to be edified by God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16).
It’s rare that I don’t walk out of church either being corrected or instructed. That’s what the Bible is supposed to do for me.
Our ride home from church usually includes the question, “So what did you think of what the Pastor shared?” which prompts deeper conversation.
But you know what I’ve realized?
I AM the church.
Yes, I need to be in church on Sundays…and I’m energized while I’m there and while I’m at lunch afterwards…
But, by the time I wake up to a blaring alarm on Monday morning, and make it through traffic and open my inbox on Monday morning, what I felt has started to fade.
And my friend at work who is struggling with hurt and pain who didn’t get energized like I did needs ME to be the church.
Do y’all remember the pink Energizer Bunny commercials for batteries back in the day?
It kept going and going and going and going….
I can’t afford to lose the momentum I receive on Sunday mornings.
Because my neighbors and friends need me…and I need to keep going and going since I AM the church for them.
My husband recently reminded me of this truth: If they don’t go to church, then the church needs to come to them.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have invited a friend to church and they didn’t come.
But Jesus didn’t tell me to invite my friends to church.
Jesus told me to be a light on a hill, to be salt, to encourage, to speak the truth in love, to share the gospel of the Kingdom.
If you have a church home, you are BLESSED. And I hope you love going just as much as I do.
But, remember what Jesus said when he was having dinner with tax collectors and sinners and being accused for it:
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13
Be the Energizer Bunny for the people around you this week. They need encouragement and hope. They need Jesus.
Maybe they won’t step into a church building, but they have you.
And when they see what you have, they will desire to be around others just like you.
And just maybe one day, they will become a church just like you.
~Elizabeth/Betsy
