After a few days of rest recovering from a minor surgery, I got a little sad Saturday night knowing I couldn’t make it to church Sunday. It may sound silly, but in the past ten years, I have only missed church a couple of times. It isn’t because I believe I have to. I genuinely love it. I wake up on Sundays with a cup of coffee, knowing it is a special day of worship and rest, unlike the other days where my to do list seems endless and my time seems short. There is something about corporate worship that is unlike our private time with Him. Seeing other believers, sitting next to familiar faces and friends, taking time to pray and sing together–I don’t know exactly what I love about it, maybe it’s the combination of all of it.
Today, I will listen to our church service online (and probably two others that I usually catch on the drive to and from church.) I will play my favorite music, and I will read His Word. But something will be lacking. My church is huge, but there are people there who I look for and hug each week. There is a little class I work in where I get to hold young children and tell them stories of Jesus as we sit in a circle. Then, there’s the live worship music that often sweeps me away to the very Feet of Jesus to thank Him, to worship Him, to tell Him how much I love Him, and to walk in freedom from the heavy burdens of sin. I love Sunday, and even though this Sunday is set aside for more rest than usual, I am reminded how blessed we are to be able to worship Christ Jesus in freedom and in community. Don’t take your church experience for granted. Bless Him wholly with your heart today!
annette geffert 
Appreciated the reference to–and the YouTube rendition of–Annie Hawks’s hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour.” (And I do!) When things are going smoothly we tend to get complacent and not rely on the Lord. It’s in the testing times that our faith grows.
But here’s a little historical note: Did you know that the hymn “Moment by Moment” was written because of a comment made about the former hymn? A man said to the author, Daniel Whittle, that he didn’t just need the Lord Jesus every hour, but every moment of the day, and Whittle turned the thought into a song.
I think you’d enjoy my blog site Wordwise Hymns, where, each day, I describe something that happened in hymn history on that date.
God bless.
Ooh, sorry to hear you went through a minor procedure. Hope you are mending by the minute. When i sometimes become blase about my opportunity for community worship, I do think about the stories from Voice of the Martyrs and realize that I’m taking such a blessing for granted.
“Worship in freedom” – a good reminder to be grateful for that. Hope you are Ok. Love J
I pray the Lord blesses you in a special way this day as you honour Him and His day.
I love you!
Annette H
I so agree with your post. If I miss one sunday I feel as though my week has been messed up and when I go back the next week it feels as though it has been much longer than a week. Corporate worship is one of those things that He has built into our natures. For when we get to heaven we will all be together praising and serving Him all the time. I pray that my “mansion” is near yours. My computer is in the shop and I am on my husbands but was able to pull your site up. I pray that they don’t have it for a week or longer…that it is minor. My power button is messed up…can’t do anything without the power….just like going to church gives us power. He does tell us in His Word to not the forsaking of the fellowship of the believers. Praying for your day tomorrow..You will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, just not with a big fellowship of other believers. This is one of my favorite hymns and it bring tears to my eyes….blessings and love…mary lou