Get Back to Where You Once Belonged
30 June 2021
What fun LuAnne and I had on Saturday attending the beautiful wedding and joyful reception of our own COS Martha Kahley to Dr. Chris Martin.
I REJOICED we could celebrate IN PERSON! As the stunning Martha walked down the aisle with father Kevin, I could see all the faces of the worshipers light up. The flowers smelled beautiful. At the reception, the beer was cold and wet. My tastebuds loved the steak and then the wedding cake. I spun LuAnne as we circled around with other couples on the dance floor. Guests laughed as they held props and made silly faces at the photo booth.
Yes, sir!!! Some life events are just better IN PERSON. One of those events is WORSHIP. So I’d like to invite, encourage, and challenge you, if you haven’t already, to re-engage in-person worship at COS, at one of the Sunday services. (8.30 & 11.00 AM, traditional; 9.45 contemporary). As the Beatles sang, “Get back to where you once belonged!”
Why should you consider leaving the comfort of your PJs and sleeping in until the last moment in favor of actually driving or golf-carting to the Sanctuary?
- Our national leaders and scientists tell us if we’ve been fully vaccinated, we are SAFE re-engaging societal interaction.
- As the body of Christ, we experience the richness of seeing and hearing more when we are close together. Neat things happen when we’re physically together.
- You give the pastors and others the gift of seeing your beautiful faces!
- Despite the quality of your AV system at home, the organ, piano and band sound even better when you’re in the same room.
- Conversations with friends before and after service are terrific.
- When you’re in the Sanctuary, it’s less tempting to start vacuuming the floor or re-organizing the book shelf during Communion.
- Traveling with family to and from church, we can experience special times to talk about faith and connections to life.
- Your own #1 answer:
Undoubtedly, we consider our new ability to stream our services an amazing God-given gift, one which we treasure and have no plans to discontinue.
Here are some scenarios in which worshiping via online makes so much sense:
- You’re sick, feel lousy and don’t want to infect others by coming to campus.
- You’re out of town with work or vacation, but still want to obey God’s 3rd Command to keep holy the Sabbath Day.
- Another commitment with sports, work, or another obligation has been scheduled for Sunday morning, and you’d like to worship later.
- You live out of town but value worshiping with Christ Our Shepherd. (For instance, several out-of-state guests participated in the wedding and offered great appreciation for this gift, praising the “production quality” and the expertise of our Director of Technology, Brad Milburn).
- It’s just one of those crazy weekends or mornings. You want to worship but probably could never make it to the Sanctuary. But you sure can make it to your couch.
- Your #1 answer:
So friend, thanks for reading and thanks for prayerfully considering, in light of vastly improved health scenarios, the best location for you each Sunday morning. In our communion liturgy we profess as Jesus-followers, that it’s our “duty and delight” to proclaim the Lord’s story and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Let me lovingly suggest the same is true for our worship attendance. As members of “the church” via God’s love and our baptismal promises, it is both our DELIGHT but also our DUTY to worship. . . and to be together as church, as team, as community. Attending weekly worship is God’s loving plan for us, through which we are nourished and encouraged and the world is blessed on so many levels.
In Christ’s hope,
Pastor Fritz
Let us pray:
Dear God, thanks for inviting me to worship you each Sunday with my faith family. Guide all of us so that we can organize our weekly schedules in ways that honor you and help my family and me experience your preferred plans for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.