Missing Church

Today is an unusual day for me. I have been sick for the past several days and am not able to attend church. The Ephesus people will think that I am attending one of the TRBA churches. The other churches will not know the difference - except for the one that I am to attend this afternoon. Nonetheless, I am missing corporate worship and Bible study and it feels pretty strange.

I do not know how people who claim to know the Lord can willfully and habitually choose not to attend church. It feels so strange to be absent from the body. Sure, I have and can do my Bible study apart from my Sunday School class, but I miss the discussion, insights, and input of others in the class. And yes--I can and have watched some TV preachers, but again it is simply not the same.

Many of you have heard me say that the worst part of my job is not being able to attend a "home church" on a regular basis. It is great to visit from church to church and worship with brothers and sisters of the faith in our many churches, but there is something to be said about being an active part of a body of believers in the church you belong to. I can not describe it fully--it is just great!

Let me simply encourage you to be actively engaged in the life and work of your home church. Your spiritual health and vitality is linked to your involvement with the local church.