Attending Worship Regularly

PASTOR’S COLUMN.

One of Grace’s Core Commitments has to do with attending worship as regularly as possible.

Worship is a contraction of “worth-ship,” which has a couple of components. One, because nothing is worth more to us than God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we gather to proclaim our devotion and loyalty in worship services. We hear God’s word and sing God’s praise and offer our lives to God in prayer. Nothing in this life is more valuable to us than God.

Two, the suffix “–ship” means “art or skill.” We aren’t to be passive when it comes to worship. We actively strive to become more skilled at proclaiming our devotion and loyalty. As time goes by, our awareness of God’s worth is to become greater and greater, and we are to receive more and more from worship services. Worship is a skill to be developed not neglected.

The sermon is an address based upon scripture that calls us to live by faith in Jesus Christ. The music lifts our attention heavenward, and the prayers open our lives to God’s guiding, healing presence. We are called Presbyterians for our form of government – presbyters, or elders, lead the congregation in response to Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. But we are also called Reformed because our lives are to be “reformed” weekly in worship.

Still, there is resistance. Just as people give reasons for not attending worship, now there’s a list of the Top Ten Reasons I Never Wash:
1. I was forced to wash as a child.
2. People who wash are hypocrites. They think they’re cleaner than other people.
3. There are so many different kinds of soap. I can’t decide which is best.
4. I used to wash, but it got boring.
5. I wash, but only on Christmas and Easter.
6. None of my friends wash.
7. I’ll start washing when I’m older.
8. I really don’t have time.
9. The bathroom isn’t warm enough.
10. People who make soap are only after your money.