Summertime is upon us and summertime brings a vacation challenge.
As you know, before moving to Gadsden, we lived on the coast of South Carolina. When you live near the beach, every summer brings an increase of attendance due to vacationers to South Carolina’s beautiful coast. On any given Sunday, the congregation where we were located saw an increase of 10% in attendance once the vacation season begins. It was a blessing to see church members from across the country join our congregation during our time of assembled worship and our Bible classes.
I always appreciate the faith and the spirit of those who take time away from their vacation to spend with brothers and sisters in Christ. Their faith is shown in their desire to meet with their extended spiritual family as they are away from home.
When people visited the congregation, about half of them go away with some connection to our church family. The congregation was made up of people from across the United States and eventually half of the visitors and members find a person or a congregation to be a common bond. Of course, the greatest common bond is God. Remember, our citizenship is in heaven, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Philippians 3.20; ESV)
Vacations provide a luxury to many people even in a troubled economy while allowing us to leave our troubles behind; at least for a couple days and relax. When you take a vacation, do you continue to worship with the saints? I have found some people taking a vacation from physical work, also take a vacation from their spiritual work. Let this not be the case in your life; stay strong in your faith and strong to your spiritual family. Enjoy the riches God provides for you, even in a strange town.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15.58; ESV)
Allow your vacation to be an opportunity to strengthen your faith as you meet to worship with extended spiritual family. Let them be a blessing to you as you are a blessing to them.
Let us not take a vacation from church lest one day, we take a vacation from Heaven.
Just my thoughts,