Going to Church

(Sabbath Blog #23)

Today is Sunday, and I’m going to go to church.

That’s not unusual. After all, I am a pastor, and so most weeks I go to the Sunday morning service, the Sunday evening service, and the Wednesday night service. It’s sort of expected of me. Because I am a pastor, usually when I go to church I have preaching and teaching responsibilities.

Today is different, though.

We are still in Rome, Georgia, where we have been since our daughter Sara was admitted to Redmond Regional Medical Center on Tuesday. Two of our church members are handling the pulpit ministry at The Hill Baptist Church in Augusta for me today (thanks, Carter and Steve). I am going to attend the morning worship service at a church here in Rome.

I go to church, whenever I go, to worship God. That is the case whether or not I have leadership responsibilities in the worship service.

I have a special reason to go today, though. I am going this morning because my heart is bursting with gratitude and I want to worship the God who has made my joy possible.

Sara is better. She is making great progress and we hope to be able to take her home in a couple of days. For that I thank Dr. Whitney, the nurses, the technicians, and all those doctors and researchers who have done the work that has led to the medicines and treatments that have enabled her to get better. Most of all, I thank God, from whom all healing finally and ultimately comes.

Would I still want to go to church if the news was not good? Of course. God is to be worshiped and praised in all the circumstances of life.

Still, I am grateful. I want to praise the Lord for all his blessings and especially for his blessings on Sara this week.

So I’m going to church.

Praise the Lord.