This past Sunday, Kevin and I were not in worship at Washington Plaza. We took the Sunday off not because of a holiday, family obligation or sickness, but just to get away and be. It was such a special treat and I can't tell you how much we enjoyed the gift of time.
But, regardless of what a good time I had, I missed church.
I was thinking about all of you when my watch said 10:30, 10:50 and 11:25. . . . (to which Kevin said: "Stop looking at your watch!)
I missed going to and being a part of worship more than I thought I would. It just wasn't the same coming into the office on Monday morning. I heard about the weekend's events through the lens of others, not through first hand experience. I felt a sense of separation from my church family here.
It's amazing that I could feel this way, I think, after only one week, but it is true: our Sunday worship is the center of our life together as a community. Without participation in it, I began this week without the same level of connection that I normally feel toward those in this place.
People tell me all the time, "Pastor, I didn't come on Sunday, what did I miss?" To which I want to reply, "You missed everything!!"
While of course there are countless other ways besides Sunday worship to be involved at Washington Plaza, truly our Sunday worship time together IS the heart of all we do.
Worship on Sunday is where we find our spiritual grounding for the week ahead through scripture.
Worship on Sunday is where we connect with friends or otherwise known as our brothers and sisters in Christ, in ways that transcend the "normal" of what it means to be human.
Worship on Sunday is the place where we remind ourselves that our gathering is different from a civic club, a charity group or an association meeting: we gather to praise, thank and adore our God because it is God who is Lord of all.
Sure, we have to be gone from time to time. Sure, there are other obligations and priorities in our lives other than just church. Sure, there are countless other really good things that we could be doing on Sunday morning other than coming to church. But, how might our community life change if each of us envisioned our week with worship on Sunday mornings as a priority?
If you are attending other events at the church, but missing worship, I want to take this opportunity to invite you back this week at 11 am. Even though this weekend is Labor Day (and thus many of you will be away), I look forward to whatever Sunday's gifts of being together will offer those of us who gather. I've missed YOU!
