FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION
Today's reading:  Matthew 17-19

"For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."  Matthew 18:20 NLT

Why do we gather on Sunday?

This verse has me questioning my own motives--therefore, I will throw the same questions out to you!

Do I gather because I am His, or because of the ritual?  There is a place and time for ritual and routine.  Some days our hearts and minds steer us away from worship, but out of habit we attend--only to be blessed by the effort and the presence of God.  We sometimes have to make ourselves go until our 'want to' comes into line.

Do I gather because I am His, or because it will look good?  I'm no biblical scholar, so correct me if I'm wrong--but all I've ever read Jesus to say about this is 'come as you are'.  Fancy and uncomfortable clothes do nothing but focus our attention away from the reason we should be gathering.  And if you're going to church to make others think you're more Christlike than you really are, I hate to burst your bubble, but they know the truth!

Do I gather because I am His, or to visit, gossip or chat?  Fellowship is very important.  But might I make an observation here:  most of us ONLY speak to the same ones week after week in our pilgrimages to the house of the Lord.  We have formed cliques.  We cluster in family groups.  We gather for coffee with birds of the same feather as ourselves.  Who is that helping? 

I've got a lot of thinking to do about my reasons for heading off to church in the morning.  A lot of soul searching.  Some personal evaluation.