SHOULD I OR NOT?
It's Sunday morning and I have cancelled worship service because of the snow possibility. I always struggle with this choice. Do I err on the side of safety or just let people decide for themselves? Of course that means that staff need to be here. No choice for them if we remain open. What's more, anyone who knows me, knows that I hardly ever cancel worship. During Covid we did close briefly but opened up almost immediately as we reconsidered the call to gather in Hebrews:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
So, here I sit at 2:43 in the afternoon second guessing myself If I did the right thing or not. Did I give up on meeting together even if 5 people showed up? Or...did I show love for the people God entrusted to me by not compelling them to show up on a snowy day? What's even worse is the storm wasn't that bad after all and the parking lot is cleaned. My mind goes back and forth as I second guess myself or dare I say obsess over the decision.
Yet if I step away from my obvious disfunction, I know it is in the past and I also know it is not that important in the scheme of things. No lives were lost on this snow day. No civilizations collapsed.
So after some reflection, here is where I stand. As a pastor I often worry about the little things sometimes more than the main things. The question I should be asking is not, did people show up for worship but rather, are the people becoming more and more worshipful? The question shouldn't be how many small groups and Bible studies are people attending but rather, are the people reading and fellowshipping AND studying the Scriptures deeply? Again, the question should not be how much was the offering today but rather, are the people generous, sacrificial and humble servants in the community? Those are the questions I should be asking but rarely do. And if I don't ask them then why would I expect my people to ask those questions too?
If you follow Jesus. Stop and consider some things. It is much easier to go to church or a Bible Study or drop something into an offering plate than it is to be a worshipper, a lover of God's Word, a generous, selfless servant of others. Of course, going and doing the first list is important but it is not the most important.
I am going to stop second guessing myself on the little things and dive into the Word right now.
(SIDE THOUGHT: Pray for your pastor(s). If they are anything like me, they love their people but we can have so much on our plate that we can get sidetracked from the main thing really easily. We are people too and we desperately need your prayers.)
Phil
