I am happy to write to you.  I am wanting to know how you conduct your worship on Sundays.

God bless you.

Sincerely,
Looking For Order

Dear Looking For Order,

The Bible gives us examples and commands for five different elements to the public worship.

1. Teaching/Preaching (1 Cor 4:17)
2. Singing (Eph 5:19)
3. Prayer (Acts 12:5)
4. Taking A Collection – Sunday only (1 Cor 16:1-2)
5. Lord’s Supper – Sunday only (Acts 20:7)

Of these five elements, two of them are specifically allowed only on Sundays.  The others can be done any time the brethren get together.  The congregation here in Monroe, WA is a simple New Testament congregation, and our worship is just what you find in the Bible.

What are the dangers of church hopping?

Sincerely,
Bunny Steps

Dear Bunny Steps,

Being a member of a congregation is about more than just hearing God’s Word; it is about being a committed, active participant in supporting and encouraging God’s people.  There are no examples of christians in the Bible who weren’t members of a local church.  Even the apostle Paul, with all of his traveling, was a member of the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26).  God tells us that part of the purpose of the church assembly is to stimulate and encourage one another to love and good works (Heb 10:24-25).  Is it enough to just stay at home and watch sermons on television or listen to ones you have downloaded from the internet?  If the only purpose of church attendance is to hear the Word, then those would be acceptable alternatives to going to church.  We are supposed to get together each Sunday and partake of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:20), and God intended for christians to be a part of a local congregation with elders and deacons to help shepherd them (1 Pet 5:2).  God knows what is best for us, and it is in our best interest to assemble with other christians in a local church.  We are all different, and our differences help to strengthen us, protect us, and better serve Christ (Eph 4:14-16).  If all you do is “church hop”, then you don’t have the blessings of the local eldership, interwoven lives with other local saints, and participating fully in the growth of the church’s work.  Church membership isn’t just about what you get; it is about what you are able to give.

     I give 10% of my income bi-weekly (tithes) as instructed from the church.  I give offerings as afforded, as instructed by my church.  I know the lights need to be paid, the mortgage paid, and the needy assisted when they go to the church for assistance.  I can see why we should give to the church who serve the people.  But, I need to know; is tithing a commandment that will truly bring on a curse to the withholder and blessings on the giver? (Malachi 3:8-9)  I have struggled financially and wonder if it means I have no faith if I give less than 10%.  I mean, tithes and offerings are necessary, but many churches need money to sustain itself, a place to worship, a place to fellowship with other saints.  Does God need my money to show I believe He will provide for me?  Is it a form of sacrifice to the temple or a means to take care of the church?  I struggle with the Old Testament applicability today.

Sincerely,
Perplexed Giver

Dear Perplexed Giver,

Mal 3:8-10 teaches some principles about giving, but it doesn’t uphold the “10% or doom” preaching that many money-grubbing churches constantly harp on.  Tithing is a Jewish commandment, not a christian one (more on this in a bit), but the Old Testament is full of examples that give us principles to live by (1 Cor 10:11).  The principle behind Mal 3:8-10 is that when we give to God as He asks, He will bless us for our faithful trust in Him.  This is true in our finances and in every other area of life.  However, just because we give financially doesn’t mean that we won’t ever suffer or have needs.  The belief that giving to God will always get you more money is called the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ – read “Cash Cow” for specifics on that false doctrine.

Now, let’s deal with the specifics of tithing.  Tithing is an Old Testament commandment (Num 18:24), not a New Testament one.  Jews tithe; christians “lay by in store as we have prospered” (1 Cor 16:1-3).  God doesn’t give a specific percentage that christians should contribute.  We must prepare beforehand what we will give (that’s the “lay by in store” part – 1 Cor 16:2).  He also commands that we be “cheerful givers” and that we give as we have “purposed in our hearts” (2 Cor 9:7).  Though tithing (which means ‘one tenth’) is a good rule of thumb for giving… it isn’t a command. The church is instructed by God to take up a collection once a week – you must decide for yourself what a cheerful and faithful giver looks like.

     There seems to be a growing debate in regards to whether or not there should be an evening worship service, which apparently was instituted during World War Two for those who had to work Sunday mornings.  Some feel we have become bound to a tradition and feel that those members who regularly miss morning worship, whether or not work related, are being catered to, and if they chose to miss morning worship for whatever reason, it is a choice they made for themselves and shouldn’t affect other members.

However, some members bind the attendance of evening worship as forsaking the assembly. Yet, attending only in the evening appears excused and to the point that evening worship services have become, for the most part, mandatory.  Consequently, the choice or necessity that morning worshippers occasionally miss evening worship seems the greater transgression.  This is especially problematic for members who must drive a considerable distance to attend worship.

This issue has hit home with me, although it’s not the disapproval of my church family I am feeling.  I attend both evening and morning worship regularly; I’m always there for Bible studies and know the importance of loving and encouraging my brothers and sisters.  But on the rare occasion that I have missed evening worship, unless it was absolutely unavoidable, I have felt bad, like I have done something displeasing to God.  Jesus talked about the error of imposed Jewish laws and traditions not specified by God.  Is this a modern day version?  I would greatly appreciate your input because I would rather not do anything that violates my conscience unnecessarily.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Checking My Attendance

Dear Checking My Attendance,

We really appreciate your attitude and desire to do what is right.  This is an issue that thousands of, if not all, saints struggle with.  When is it appropriate to miss services?  To answer your question, we need to look at two verses: Rev 1:10 and Heb 10:25.

Having two services on Sunday is merely an expediency.  Nowhere in the Scriptures are the saints required to meet twice on Sunday – however, there is a reason that most congregations have multiple services.  The reason our group has a morning and an evening worship is because Sunday is called “the Lord’s day”.  That term is found in Rev 1:10 and is almost universally agreed by commentators to refer to Sunday because that is the day that the Lord arose from the grave, and it is the day that God commanded His saints to commemorate Christ’s death (Acts 20:7).  What is Sunday to a christian?  It is a day given to the Lord.  It doesn’t say “the Lord’s half-hour” or “the Lord’s morning” – it says “the Lord’s day“.  There is a principle there.  God intends for us to mentally set that day aside for spiritual things.  Unlike the Jewish Sabbath, christians aren’t prohibited from working on Sundays or doing other things, but we still have a principle of devoting that day as a day for spiritual things.  After all, the Old Testament Sabbath existed for the spiritual needs of men (Mk 2:27), and it isn’t like those spiritual needs have gone away just because we aren’t Jewish.  For clarification, Sunday isn’t a new Sabbath, but we can take some principles from Old Testament examples (1 Cor 10:6).  It isn’t wrong for a christian to work on Sunday, but it also isn’t right for a christian to disregard the Bible design of Sunday as the Lord’s day.

The other primary verse to consider is Heb 10:25.  We are commanded to “not forsake the assembly”.  The word ‘forsake’ means ‘to desert, abandon, or leave behind’.  This verse is sometimes misused to say that if you miss even a single class or service, you are sinning – that isn’t the case.  Forsaking something is more than just a single absence; it is an attitude of desertion.  Heb 10:25 says that those who had forsaken the church assembly had made a custom out of it – it was their habit.  When our priorities change and the church is no longer important to us and the Lord’s day is no longer a priority, then we have forsaken the assembly.  To forsake the assembly requires a devaluation of worship in our lives and in our hearts.  What we do consistently is a window into our hearts.  We are known by the fruit we bear (Matt 7:16).  If a brother begins to scale back his attendance, it will legitimately raise eyebrows on caring brethren because attendance decline is a consistent indication that someone is having spiritual problems.  People have a zillion different reasons (sickness, travel, family emergencies, work, car trouble, etc.) for missing services… sometimes those excuses are sincere, and sometimes they are a cover up for dodging our responsibilities to the Lord.  Not everyone that misses a service is spiritually weak, but spiritually weak people miss services.  However, you mentioned that you rarely miss services, and it is not a consistent part of your behavior – therefore, those concerns wouldn’t apply to you as long as you can honestly say that your priorities are where they ought to be.  Asking the question, “Did I have a legitimate reason to miss evening services?” is a healthy part of self-examination… something we should all do (Gal 6:4, 1 Cor 11:28).

     I read so much about prayer, how to pray so that God hears you, how not to pray, what is right, what is wrong... I am so confused.  I am a christian and believe in God with all my heart.  Being European, I have a hard time getting into American churches and do not feel comfortable.  I’d rather read my Bible at home and pray in the solitude of my home.  I have been praying for so many years and cannot seem to get an answer.  It seems that my heart and soul doubt my own faith, and I am scared.  I prayed to God to lead the way, help me how to pray, and wish nothing more than to be happy again after many betrayals.  How can I pray right?  Is it not enough that my heart speaks to God, and He knows my pain?  I am in that storm, and I am sad almost every day.  I am blessed with two wonderful children and two grandchildren, but still I feel that I do not belong on this earth and slowly am losing my will to love.  Where is a chapter in the Bible that gives me hope?

Sincerely,
Dwindling Away

Dear Dwindling Away,

Sometimes the things we are most uncomfortable doing are the very things that are missing in our lives.  Nobody likes to get shots, but that needle is delivering needed medicine to the body.  You are comfortable praying, you are comfortable reading your Bible, but you say that you are uncomfortable going to church services.  You are losing your will to love… and God says that assembling with the saints is what provokes our love (Heb 10:24-25).  You feel alone, and it is the church that God uses to surround us and make us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves (Eph 4:16).  You feel like you don’t belong, and God says the church is what makes us part of a family (Eph 2:19).  God has already answered your prayer by showing you in His Word what will make you whole – join a faithful church.  Let us help you find a congregation in your area that will help you become the christian the Lord intends for you to be.  E-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we will be happy to help you meet with other people who love the Lord just like you do.