Friday 27 April 2007

Main Thing cont'd

(please review previous post with comments)

I love Sunday meetings. It's where much of my spiritual formation was supported and many other people these days too. Many of us prepare for Sunday with more intentionality than other days of the week. Sunday meetings we will always have and value.

The dialogue about the other days of the week is not in contradistinction to Sunday. We need to give it great value, and we should give the other six days value as well. The measurement of Sunday fellowships and meetings does give an indicator of just that. Discerning people will know that.

Present culture does not see Sunday the same way past culture did. We must be available to do our best work every day. Please Lord, Let us see your way.

Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have witnessed many who have come through from the week-day activities of the church and the conversion happens when the Holy Spirit convicts them during Sunday Worship... many prayer warriors would gather before worship and pray for an outpouring of God's Holy Spirit and these broken people would find freedom. I think we need corporate worship.

GBM

jeff said...

The church should always be open. I was living in New York just after the world trade towers came down, and experiencing a personal crisis of my own. I wandered from one cathedral to the next, All were open! Everyday! All day long! In them I found solace and God in the heart of my turmoil as did thousands of others during that time, Many nights these churches held candle light vigils sometimes pouring out onto the Manhattan and Brooklyn streets.

Maybe world crisis will be what will cause us to make everyday a day of church in the final days. Christians with intact families are not always aware of the of the many individuals with broken lives and broken families in need of daily church. Heartbreak doesn't wait for Sunday, and either does Praise!
The church could become: one day a trench to leap into in the heat of spiritual warfare, another day a strategy room for battle, another day a place for feeding and shelter, another day a school for Scripture, another day a gathering of families and friends and rejoicing, all leading up to the victory and Holiness of Sunday to praise and adore the Lord.

Hopefully, more than just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't be great if we could open our worship area up every time our corps building was open. For example, mainly music could be running in one room, lights on and quiet music playing in the worship area, with perhaps a prominent sign letting people know the church was open for prayer at all times. It would be good if there was someone vigilant to see if anyone was stopping to look, or read the sign, maybe they could open the door, offer prayer, or just smile and silently pray.

Our programmes are good draw cards, but what use are they if those who attend never hear of our Lord? I am not saying that this is what happens, but it is a trap that we become programme driven, and lose sight of the reason for the programme in the first place.

Anonymous said...

To the annonymous commenter above it is possible. In our previous appointment the corps centre was open each day and the worship centre was open all the time it took a bit of organization as we had to lock anything that could walk ie electrical equipment into one room so that there was nothing of interest that could walk out the door (sorry but it has in the past and will in the future)
I would often walk past and see people praying in the worship area and have the opportunity of ministering to them. Amazing things would happen....

Anonymous said...

mainly music works because it is "intentional" ie. we mean to bring people to Christ through this avenue. We pray for it, plan for it, prepare for it and expect it! We dont wait for Sunday........BUT how special is Sunday? What an opportunity for our contacts to see the "family" at worship in its best light. We use everything so that by any means all might be saved.

Jim Knaggs said...

I'm feeling the balance.