Worshiping as a church: Showing up – for the duration (Second in a series)

There is a saying that goes like this: “Half of life is showing up.” Now I don’t know about the 50 percent estimate, but I think there is something to be said for such an assessment. There are lots of things we may fail to do simply because we don’t show up.

In a sense, that bit of homespun wisdom has some application when it comes to corporate worship. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews thought it was important enough to mention to First Century disciples: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:23-25).

If we don’t show up for corporate worship, there will be no opportunity for us to stimulate other Christ followers “to love and good deeds” or to encourage them -- at least in the setting described by God's Word. There will be no opportunity to confess our hope in Jesus with our fellow disciples. And I would add: Not arriving by the time corporate worship begins and not staying until it entirely ends will limit those opportunities as well. By “entirely,” I mean the entire time the church has established as its weekly Lord’s Day gathering. For Covenant Community Church, that includes not only the large group meeting that begins at 10 a.m. but the discipleship classes and share/prayer sessions that follow.

This ministry of stimulating and encouraging has both corporate and individual manifestations. In the corporate sense, presence is a means of stimulating and encouraging others who are with us in worship. Our brothers and sisters recognize our commitment not only to Christ but to them. In addition, singing with the rest of the body is a means of “teaching and admonishing” each other, as Col. 3:16 says, and thereby stimulating and encouraging one another. Individually, we have an opportunity to stimulate and encourage each other one on one before or after our time together.

There are other reasons for “not forsaking our own assembling together.” For example, it enables us to hear the Word of God taught systematically and, in so doing, have our souls fed, and it enables us to pray together for God’s gracious work.

Regrettably, our culture is no longer supportive of Christians “not forsaking our own assembling together.” Gone is the time when society carves out space on the Lord’s Day in deference to Christians who gather to worship.

As a result, disciples of Christ sometimes must make counter-cultural decisions in order to abide by the command not to forsake our assembling. It may require some tough calls for believers, especially heads of households. I acknowledge there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes they involve work and other situations.

Nonetheless, worshiping as part of a church is a priority, according to the New Testament, and it requires each follower of Jesus to make that time a priority. As I said in the first post in this series: “The gathering of the church on the Lord’s Day is normally the most important meeting we will participate in each week, except possibly those in our home.”

After all, we are those whom God has chosen to call to Himself for eternity. We are members of a body established by the cross of Christ. God calls us to gather regularly now with other called-out ones to rejoice in that bond. It is preparation for when with these same ones we will worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords eternally. It doesn’t get any better in this life.