On my trip to Charleston, SC, my family decided to go worship at the church I grew up in. Shamefully, I admit, I wanted to go there because I wanted to #1 see people and #2 be seen. Yes, I did want to worship but the reasons I just mentioned were in the forefront of my mind. Previously, when I had been "home" I had attended the later service and had been told that most of the people my age go to the earlier contemporary service, so this time I told my husband we should go to the earlier service. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of getting up early after we had been driving all day Sat., but he did want to go to church so he said okay. As it turned out, there was hardly anybody there at the early service and they didn't have a nursery so we didn't really get to worship or get "fed" because we were too focused on keeping our 2 year old occupied and quiet.
I am reminded of John, who in the book of Revelation, was worshipping God by himself on the day set aside for that purpose - he didn't postpone his worship b/c there wasn't anybody with him and b/c he was on an island with no other believers he wasn't worshipping to be seen either.
The lesson I learned from this is: the point of going to church is never to see people or be seen but to worship our Heavenly Father who has given his one and only Son as a sacrifice for us - so that we may have eternal life!
I'm ashamed to admit I have done the same thing - done "Christian" things in a certain way or at a certain time or in a certain place just to be seen rather than for the right reasons... I can relate; it doesn't feel good!
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