Going to Church?

[RSS Robot]

A very nice lady who comes to our church almost every Sunday morning asked me why I go back Sunday night. Do I sin so much in the afternoon that I need to?

Let me assure you that if sleeping after Sunday dinner is a sin, I would be guilty, but that's about the extent of our afternoon activities.  I simply enjoy attending services - and I believe the Bible tells us to:

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25 KJV)

When it comes to Christ’s return, no one knows the date – but we do know we are closer today than yesterday, and we’re headed in that direction. Exhorting one another – building each other up to do the Lord’s will and increase faith.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV)

In our church, Pastor teaches from the Bible. Our doctrine is encased in God’s word and it builds our faith when we study to see if what is said is so. We need to know what we believe and why. That’s best done with others as questions are asked and answered – or debated and explained. Paul gives us that importance just a few verses ahead:

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Romans 10:14-15 KJV)

It’s important to understand the difference between the church building where meetings are held and The Church. Once that is understood, we can use several examples – like not leaving our feet at home while we travel (or maybe our brain?):

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12 KJV)

Please take time to read this chapter on your own, and indulgence me jumping a few verses ahead:

For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (1 Corinthians 12:14-16 KJV)

Do you not like other Christians? There are, most likely, some reason not to – but our commandment directs otherwise:

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35 KJV)

Not my standard, but Christ’s. And it is with our fellow Christians that we can be the closest to Him:

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20 KJV)

I enjoy my time at services in church, at meetings where few or many are gathered in His name. When I find I don’t (which I have in the past) it is up to me to find out why and what needs changing. It is never the Bible nor is it Christ.

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[Invicta]

We have very few to our evening service.

in my younger days our evening service was the gospel preaching service and the morning service was the "Breaking of Bread".   We also had a young peoples meeting after the evening service.  

But why two services?  Most churches we have been to in France only have one service but it usually starts earlier and lasts much longer. One Baptist Church we once went to in Dijon when we were in the region had two services, but that was the only one.When we were once members of a church near here, we looked up the old records and before the last war, they had a service at 8.00am another at 11.00am. an open air service at 1.00pm and an evening service at 6.30pm.  When we held a service at a local old peoples home we met one lady why said she used to come to our church when she was a child.  They walked several miles to the church and stayed all day.

In 1813 Samuel Eyles Pierce  walked from Maidstone to Faversham, about 26 miles after catching the  stage from London, on Christmas eve, He preached twice the following day (That would be 25th Dec. You would't get any of our members out twice on that day) and three times the following day, it being the Lord's Day". 

So my question would be, Why two services on a Lord's Day?  Why not one, or three, or four?

Just musing

 

[John81]

Most churches around here no longer have an evening service, not even the churches which did at one time. Changes which have taken place regarding work and school over the past decade or two have made night services impractical or impossible for most people.

It seems the morning and evening Sunday services came forth because of changing times too. Prior to this some churches actually held all day church services which began in the morning, paused for noon time meal, resumed afterward and ended  in late afternoon.

I've not found any evidence of there being a set standard for church services (outside the example in Scripture of having a Sunday gathering) which requires any set number or length of Sunday service(s). Most churches set their services based upon practical matters or church tradition.

Our church has two Sunday morning services which came about because of changes involving peoples work schedules. We have had 8:00 and 10:30 services now for many years. This works well for us.