Church: Sunday is Coming

It's Thursday evening and the thought of Sunday makes me tense.  I can't keep making excuses for missing a lot of church services.  I have a good friend to whom I am accountable.   I know that she is beginning to wonder about my commitment to the church we both attend.  Before I joined this church, I prayed a lot.  I wanted to be completely certain that I was doing the right thing.   I truly believed I was doing the right thing.  Even now, I believe that I was acting in faith.  I was trying to do what I believed God wanted me to do.
Some time later, I wondered if I misheard God.  I felt like God told me that I was not sent there for myself, but sent for the people.
It would be some time before I began to understand what this meant.  I began to forge friendships with new people.  I had an exchange of ideas with other church goers.  After some time I was an assistant connect group leader.  I felt like I was a good influence. 
The main place I believe I was useful to God was through prayer.  I began to pray for a friend and the ministry she is involved in.   I found such a joy through prayer.   Prayer is rewarding in many ways; but at times the results of prayer are not known in this life.  There were many answers to prayer as well during this time.
Where I differ from the 'average' churchgoer is that I have been a student of the Bible for years.  A shallow sermon makes little impact on my life.  For a time I thought that it was okay that I was not being challenged at my church.   I thought that I could listen to pod casts to forage for what I was not being fed at my own church.   For time I also thought that it was enough that others seemed to listen to what I had to say.  However, those closer to me, kept telling me that I had something to say, and that it was my time.  But opportunities were few.
Still, I remained.
I have written all the above to show that going to church is not enough.  It is about a relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.   I wasn't trying to live my life without a relationship with God.  But going to church is not what God requires of you.  God is concerned with every day of your life, not just Sunday.  Hebrews 10:25 is often quoted by church leaders to keep people going to church.  It says, "do not forget the assembling of believers as is the manner of some."  However, in the early church, the believers went to synagogue, but mostly met in each others homes.  There reason for gathering together was to study and listen to the apostle's doctrine.  They did not gather for entertainment.  They met to hear the meat of the word of God.  At most churches today, the congregation is lucky to get milk.   It is impossible to grow spiritually with only milk.
Please note I said most churches.  There are some wonderful churches out there.  Places where the pastors are shepherds.  I am not anti-church.

To be continued ....

Forgetting:  The rules and regulations of the religious.  Leaving behind the things that try to keep me down.

Remembering:  I live to please God.  I attempt to do all that He asks of me.  This may mean saying no to good so that I can do the best.