In Spirit and In Truth

In Spirit and In Truth

Sunday mornings mean different things to different people. Traditionally Sunday is known for the time of the week where one makes time for church going activities. I can remember when I was a child how my sister and I would have to dress up in our uncomfortable shoes and clothes and head over to the local church. Since I went to the same school as the church, I often saw my classmates and their parents. Sometimes there was a bit of a tiff between my Mother and Father because the Bears were playing at the same time as Mass. I was raised Catholic and back then we called it Mass.

As I got older church became less and less important. In fact in my early twenties my belief was that church and believers in God were for the weak and I avoided it all costs. Since I found Jesus, I have attended several different church services. Born again Christians have Church Service on Sunday mornings. There was always a certain joy that is different from any other that is derived from attending church service. Most of the time, I felt that the pastor was speaking directly to me as he preached his sermon. Often times I felt as if I was leaving a different person than I was when I walked in; being changed in my heart.

I spent some time living at the San Diego Rescue Mission where they conduct chapel services. Chapel is a sincere, solemn time of praise and worship. The basic format that the San Diego Rescue Mission would follow went something like this: Scripture Reading, Opening Prayer, Hymns, Sermon, Closing Prayer, Closing Song, and Farewell. I have attended hundreds of chapel services and the feelings were similar with the Church Services described above, although with one difference. At Chapel I felt connected to the congregation. I felt a sense of brotherhood that is indescribable. The Bible states that we are chosen to be saved and given a gift of grace. When attending Chapel, I felt that everyone was my family and that we were all there for the purpose of serving God.

Jesus commands us in the gospels to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. There are many churches that conduct their worship service in the correct manner. There are many that do not. I believe that worshipping God is a serious matter and should be taken seriously by the administers as well as by the attendees. Also, it is important to note that rituals can be the unnecessary distraction that detracts from worshipping God in the correct way.

Although the Bible commands in Hebrews to not forsake the assembling of the brethren, there is something to be said for having a church service alone. By praying and reading and singing in the privacy of your own home, one can be comfortable and do what one feels is right at his own discretion. There is no one to give you the eye as you sing. There are no babies crying. There are no unnecessary rituals. God knows our hearts and the Bible contains many verses that place the condition of the heart above the showmanship of outwardly actions.

GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY AND WORSHIP YOUR CREATOR!