Resolved to Assemble

Two weeks ago, our family was out of town on Sunday. Therefore, we missed what has become one of the greatest joys of each week…our time of worship and fellowship with you! While we are grateful for the chance to take a family vacation, I can honestly say that we genuinely missed our time of gathering together with the Moundville Baptist body of Christ. I know that many of you enjoy this fellowship to the same degree, which is why you are so regular in your church attendance. Like us, you find great encouragement in the regular meetings of our congregation. You are challenged in your faith as we study God’s Word together. You lean in upon Christ and others as we lift up our prayers. And you are eagerly expectant of God’s working among us, because you have witnessed His working among us in times past.

While this should be the testimony of any church member, apparently this is not always so. Even in the earliest years of the Church, the writer of Hebrews would admonish his readers with the following words. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25, emphasis mine). Apparently, even in the youngest years of Jesus’ Church, there were some that had formed a habit of missing regular gatherings. Though the reasons are not given, we can only assume that they were the same then as they are today. Their desire to miss trumped their desire to attend. As is true now, so was true then—people put forth great effort to do whatever it is they want to do.

When I first became pastor of MBC, an individual in our church shared with me a story regarding this very matter of regular church attendance. Apparently, the habit of missing church is not a recent phenomenon in the life of our church, as the print from the story is fairly antiquated. Yet, I think you will appreciate its relevance to our own day. It is titled

A Letter from Parson (Pastor) Jones.

Attendance at church last Sunday was mighty porely. I don’t reckon I oughta grumble cause I had a bunch of sick members, and when you add to that all the shut-ins, we don’t have a site of pew-fillers. So, I went ahead and preached to what I had. Only thing was the echo in the near empty church hurt my ears. My madam said I needed to get out and ride awhile and let the fresh air clear my head. It made me feel good inside. What I saw made me rejoice. I saw miracle after miracle!

Ole Hezekiah who had been deathly sick that very morning had roused up and was riding down the highway with his fishing poles. No, nothing but a miracle could have rescued ole Hez from the jaws of death in such a short time.

Now there was Rufe’s brother. Rufe told me Sunday morning that his brother’s back was in such foul shape that they was afraid that an operation was gonna be necessary. Well, we remembered him in our prayers and lo and behold at two o’ clock there he stood at the driving range hitting golf balls. If that wasn’t a quick recovery, I don’t know what is!

All told, about 20 of my sick folks had roused up and was taking nourishment in one form or another. But what made me really happy was to see so many of my shut-ins riding around and enjoying the world. Hezekiah’s paw, who don’t attend church cause he can’t stand crowds, was headed for the drag races. Sister Nell’s mama, who was too weak to get outa the house was in town shopping. Ellie Nickle Singer’s sister, who can’t come on account of her kidneys, stood in line two hours to get into the show.

Yes, sir, it thrilled my heart to see what I saw. I oughta have a packed house next Sunday with all my sick folks being healed and my shut-ins being set free. I just hope that they don’t overdo themselves before next Sunday and have a relapse. I gotta go now and play with my smallest youngen. He is gonna be a farmer and I’m gonna be the goat. Tin cans will be easy after what I have swallered!

Truly Glad to be Here,

Jason