of minimal importance

i decided to not go to church this morning. and you know what? i feel great about it. dont get me wrong, i love church. i love being able to see people and worship corporately. but i just did not want that this morning. i wanted to worship, but alone. that is something i dont get much of anymore. i live in the city, i have a roommate, im always busy it seems. it is like the idea of worshiping God alone, just me and Him, has taken a back seat in importance. it is of minimal importance in today's church it seems. if you just decide to skip church and worship at home instead, you might be equated as a pagan. i know a guy who one sunday went fishing instead of church. he went by himself. i dont blame him. i love to fish, and i love being in God's creation. and what an opportunity to witness to others outside the church!

see, i think we have this mindset that church, that worship, only takes place inside the walls of the building that is on a plot of land. it is funny you know, cause Israel put God in a box like that once too. and you know what happened???? He sent them into exile to teach them a valuable lesson.....God cannot be confined! worship, likewise, cannot be confined.

God is just as pleased with me worshiping this morning in my room as He is with me worshiping in another building.

perhaps we as the body of Christ need to rethink this whole "never miss a sunday" mentality. perhaps we need to reevaluate the importance of worshiping God in secret, alone, just Him and you. in today's world where business and socializing to the extreme is praised, perhaps we should back up and take a break. now, im not advocating this for every sunday, or even every other sunday. but i think we should rethink this mentality i mentioned before.

God is not impressed that you make it to church every sunday. just like going to church doesnt make you a christian, i would be very careful to say going to church every sunday makes you a BETTER christian. God wants the heart more than the body. it is easy to show up in the pew, but leave your heart elsewhere.

i challenge you to rethink this mentality of "never miss a sunday". perhaps you are like me, and you need a break. perhaps you are like me, and this idea of individual worship is not of minimal importance in the end, but is instead of great importance.

if it is, i further challenge you to take a real sabbath. ask someone to hold you to it, and the next week ask what you learned in your time of worship. dont take it as a vacation per say, but a time of individual worship, to reconnect with God. if that is through fishing, go fish. if it is through climbing a mountain, go for it. if it is just sitting in a chair with some coffee and your Bible, get comfy.

above all else though, seek God. seek Him with your heart, mind and body. for this is true worship, honoring God in all ways.