Sunday is the best day. This is a principle that both believer and unbeliever could probably agree upon. WHY it is the best day is where we might differ. I was helping a customer pick out an accessory item for their beloved gadget on Saturday and as is my habit we got into talking about her line of work. As it turned out, she and her husband were both in the audio/visual installation industry and have done some work for GBC in the past. The conversation then turned as she began bemoaning the fact that she would have to spend “her” sunday at church to get a better grasp on what the client’s audio need would be.
Yesterday while listening to sermon number two of the morning, I flashed back to the conversation. Why was it that I and so many others at this awesome fellowship continually sacrifice so much time to partake in an event that so many others would consider an option slightly better than going to the dentist? Church is somewhat ironic. 1 We spend part of our day cramming into a somewhat smelly room to listen to one man talk about his understanding of a book that we can all read for ourselves.
The primary distinction must come from the fact that our perspectives are from two very different viewpoints. Thinking about this I came up with this analogy that I wanted to share with you all.
Going to church, without the indwelling Holy Spirit revealing the truths of scripture to you, is a lot like going to a 3D movie without the special glasses. Without the special glasses, you will never understand the concepts of scripture that lunge at your face, the depth of God’s grace that overwhelms our senses or the vivid colors that grab your attention. To the rest of the world not wearing the glasses, this concept of “church” is sitting in an oversized theatre where the image is understandable but incredibly hazy and entirely unentertaining. No amount of “good friends,” side conversations before and after the message or gratification in pleasing parents in attendance is going to make anyone want to continue coming back for more. Without Christ in the individuals life and the Holy Spirit working new life in their heart Church simply doesn’t make sense.
Praise God for His mercy upon us and letting us wear the special glasses. Enjoy!
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Side note: We as believers don’t help the irony when we act like the two (generous estimate) hours we do spend in corporate worship is a great inconvenience. ↩
