Only Our Reasonable Service

Warning! This post is a rant of my pet peeves! Read with caution! 

When we go to work, we're usually always on time. We don't think twice about getting there. We don't want to be late because it's not right to be late. When we are tired, we go. It's our job. It's required of us. We don't make excuses why we can't get there.  We don't just not show up because there's something more fun to do.We just go. On time.

When we make a doctor's appointment, we go. We put it on our calendar to remind us that we have an appointment. If we don't show up, we're charged a fee. We go. On time.

Why is it then, when it comes to church services and ministries, that these "rules" fly out the window? If we showed up 15, 20, 30 minutes late to work every single time, what would happen? We know it's wrong to be late for work. Why is it any different to be late, sometimes very late, for church? I've noticed several families that are always late. Sometimes 20 minutes after the service has started. It's a distraction. It's disrespectful. It says that God isn't important. Church isn't important. It's disrespectful to the Pastor. It's disrespectful to our fellow worshipers because it distracts us from the service. Why is that some are consistently late? Are you 20  minutes late for work every day? Okay, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that every time you're late it's a problem. I get that things come up that make us late - we've slept through the alarm, somebody spilled something on the way out the door. I take issue with the habitual offenders. 

As a former nursery director, I noticed that some don't take their ministries seriously either. Like I've already stated, when we make an appointment, we keep it. Why do we then not write down when we're serving in a ministry? When we don't show up for a scheduled slot in the nursery, someone else needs to fill it. When we don't show up to sing in the choir, other voices have to make up for that missing voice. If we don't show up to usher, someone else has to do it, etc. 

Ministries aside, just making to church is important. Church is part of our Christian lives. I know there's a lot of services to attend. God expects the best from His children. Church is where we learn more about Him, it's where we fellowship with His other children. Prayer meeting is a refreshing time in the Word in the midst of the busy week and it's where we learn how to better pray for our fellow brethren in the Lord. I know there are times we just plain can't make it out - we're sick, our kids are sick, the car breaks down. Then there are times we just don't want to go - we're tired, we've worked all day, there's other things to get done. Those are the times we need to go. I'm sure our dear pastor has had those same feelings. I'm sure he's exhausted! We just go to church, he actually works when he comes! When I don't feel like getting my lazy butt off the couch to go to evening service or prayer meeting, I just think of Pastor. I just can't ever see him saying, "I'm too tired tonight. I'm not going to prayer meeting." "I have too much to prepare for this class, I think I'll stay here and work on it."

This is just my opinion and my conviction, it is only our reasonable service to be at church, on time. It is only our service to be at our appointed slot in whatever ministry we're serving in, on time. I believe it's not only my conviction, but it's Biblical as well ... If you ignored the warning and stuck it out, thanks! 

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:1-2

"For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
Matthew 18:20