The local church culture in our country has a very interesting seasonal mentality. This is the time of the year when attendance at Sunday worship services begins to decrease as people find more reasons to spend their Sunday mornings doing other things. I know of churches that even cancel many of their ministries during the Summer months.
Honestly, I don't get it. I don't see anything in Scripture that gives us the freedom to take a break from being committed to the local church. In fact, Scripture actually warns us about this very issue.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
The obvious danger in the seasonal mentality is that it is disobedience - plain and simple. Now, I'm not imposing a legalistic view on Sunday worship attendance and Life Group attendance. We all have our vacations planned. We all have work schedules that conflict from time to time. We all get sick or have sick kids that prevent us from being where we want to be.
The problem lies in our priorities. If we intentionally begin to place other priorities ahead of being with our church family on a regular basis, we are in sin. We have fashioned an idol in our minds and placed it ahead of our God. We are no longer loving God with everything we are, but saying, "I'm committed to God (and, therefore, my church), but just not right now."
What message are we sending our children when we tell them through our actions and decisions that something else is more important than God's will for our lives? Our children should know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no sport, no extra-curricular activity, no other priority that is more important than obeying the Word of God. The decisions we make are sending clear messages to those around us, and they will have great impact on the lives of our children.
