Sunday Night Church

SCRIPTURE

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.  As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!

~John 20:19-20, NLT

QUOTE

Jesus yoke is ‘easy’ only to those who love Him.

~Bernard of Clairvaux

Some years ago, a turkey from the Alabama Baptist State Convention came to our pastor’s conference to speak and basically he said, “Sunday night church is not biblical; that there was no Sunday night church before electricity.” Needless to say, I did not allow him to finish his presentation without reminding him that the first two Sunday meetings [that got our Sunday tradition started] were on Sunday night. He was visibly shaken and rebuked me for interrupting. He never recovered. I think he lost his place in his notes or something but he never regains his composure. He stammered and stumbled until he finally closed by blaming the entire fiasco on me. Trust me, I did not get a hero’s welcome from the pastors. I had embarrassed  them as well as the speaker. They gave me the old silent treatment but I didn’t care. I don’t have to be affirmed when I have scripture to back me up.

What is this thing about professing believers hating Sunday night church? Do you hate to go home after work? Do you mark the time you spend with your spouse? If you go home out of a sense of obligation or you keep a record of the time you spend with your wife or husband, you are not in love, not with them. Jesus showed up last night and I got blessed with peace and joy. Hey, I’ll take all the joy I can get. The overwhelming majority of our folks played Thomas last night: they stayed at home. They got enough Jesus Sunday morning to last them all week and for some it will last a month. Me? I feel guilty, I had more fun last night than any man deserves.

Sunday night church is not the problem. Our lack of love for Jesus, that is the problem.

• Shohn and crew are painting FORTE today, beginning at 11:00. Catfish and some of the youth are helping. David and I talked about the last phase last night but we did not set a time frame. Once we get the outside beam sit, it will not take long.
• I did not check any numbers yesterday but I do know we had 66 last night.
• We have a two week period to pray about God’s will for the BLOCK PARTY. The final decision will be made July 13th. 
• Judy Davis had a birthday yesterday I think [this week for sure] and for her birthday, she wanted her family to come to church with her: they packed more than one pew. Way to go Judy, Judy, Judy!