Utica Baptist Church, Utica, Mississippi

  Emma Major is a lay minister in Great Britain. She maintains a blog on the internet, on which she recently wrote that people frequently ask her whether it matters if they go to church every Sunday.

She wrote, "I always tell them that coming to church is a fantastic opportunity to meet with God, connect with your church family and thank God for all your blessings; but I also tell them that God does not require us to come to church at all. God loves us as we are, in our crazy busy lives and with all our responsibilities and obligations and activities.  He loves it when we find time to spend with Him but that doesn't need a church.  I know God loves that we come together as the church to worship God and support each other, but the church is a gift from God to us, not something we have to feel obligated towards.

Well, you know I had to respond! This is what I wrote:

I understand your belief that God is smiling on you--and He is. But try using this same excuse with an employer: "Well, I didn't come in to work today because I just HAD to get these other things done." Or "You know, I realize you expected me to be on time for work today but it was such a pretty day I thought I would take the family to the lake."

It comes down to priorities. There are indeed people who attend church services each and every Sunday, not because they fear God will strike them with lightning, and not because they don't have other things to do. They attend because they have made it a priority--sort of an appointment with God that they will always keep, similar to the way you would keep an appointment with your doctor. It's on the calendar, the time is set, and other things have to wait--even if it's a pretty day or there's company coming over.

This is not intended to reflect on you or your beliefs. The people I know who attend church regularly do so because they love the fellowship, teaching and study, the prayer and music, the growth opportunities, the strength and encouragement, and because they dearly love God and His people. They eagerly look forward to being at God's House on the Lord's Day for worship, and sincerely grieve when they cannot be there.

I heard of an old man who was almost completely deaf, but who showed up for worship every Sunday. He could not hear a single word of what was said. Someone asked him why he even bothered, since he couldn't hear anything. His reply was "I want everyone to know which side I'm on."

So it comes down to this: I attend church services regularly because I need to. Yes, it may be a crutch, but we're all limping. And I want there to be no mistake whatsoever which side I'm on. I want those who watch my life and witness to know that I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that I am a soldier reporting for duty.

--Rocky Henriques, www.uticabc.com

The pews were full this morning at Utica Baptist Church. There was room for a few extra people, but not many! The music was great (as usual), the people were filled with excitement, there were several visitors, and as the sermon began, there was an air of expectation.

At least, that's what I felt. I'm the preacher, so it could be I was feeling what I wanted to feel.

Anyway, I went past time a few minutes. I don't do that often, but today was one of those times.

As people were leaving, one of our visitors came up to me, a man whom I had met just before the service began. He said, "Pastor, you can't do this."

Huh oh, my brain said. What do we have here?

"Do what?" I asked.

"You can't pack out the church like this. You don't have a rock band, a set of drums, and you didn't wear a ratty old t-shirt and jeans with the knees out of them."

I realized then that he was speaking "tongue-in-cheek," as he went on to say, "At least that's what I've been told."

We both laughed heartily, me out of relief, and him because of my reaction (and it was a good joke)!

We spent a few minutes talking about how our church is still a very traditional church. We have an organ, a piano, a robed choir, a pastor who still wears a coat and tie, and though we sing an occasional chorus, we pretty much sing the great hymns of the faith. We talked about how preaching in many churches has become an exercise in "relevance," as if the Word itself cannot speak for itself.

Our visitor, a pastor from another state, told me that he has told people that "God's Word is relevant--right off the page." He meant that when you first open the pages, it is relevant right at that moment. It doesn't need all of the fancy trappings that so often accompany sermons today.

I'm not saying that a church should never use modern methods to communicate the Timeless Message. PowerPoint presentations may actually help people "get it," and I'm all for anything that will help people better understand the message and take some of it home with them. (In fact, there are times that I've thought to myself while studying, "I wish I had a way to help them 'see' this. PowerPoint would be wonderful right here.")

And I'm not saying that the only music God can bless is already printed in a hymn book somewhere. I'm not saying that He cannot bless music presented by a band with guitars and drums.

But what I am saying is in many cases (not all, for sure) those who utilize all of the contemporary methods listed above have fallen into a ritual of their own. Those in traditional churches have rejected the use of contemporary methods, but those who never sing "Rock of Ages" have rejected anything that even smells like it's more than five years old.

It sort of reminds me of the Samaritan woman who, in an effort to change the subject, asked Jesus "Should we worship God here on this mountain, or in Jerusalem?" Which one is right?

Jesus' answer tells us what is right: "The ones who worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

I really do enjoy our traditional style of worship! I guess that's to be expected of someone my age (56) and background. However, my son and his wife attend a church, just a few miles from here, where there are no hymnals, no organ, and where they use a worship band to lead music.

They, too, are packed every Sunday. And they are reaching people for Christ, same as we are.

So, should the criteria we use to judge our effectiveness be the style of music we use, or how we dress, or which instruments are played while we worship?

I don't think so. Let those of us in both camps determine that we are going to worship in spirit and truth--wherever we are, however we're dressed, whichever instruments are used.

And not look down our noses at the others.
--Rocky Henriques