Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Worship (corporate) (10/04/07)
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TITLE: Homework on Sunday | Previous Challenge Entry
By Stephanie Sjaardema
10/11/07 -
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“So when can we get together to work on the project again?” Katherine asked. “Would Saturdays work for you?”
Rachel loved being with Katherine and she knew they needed to work on the assignment for school, but unfortunately Saturdays were really hectic. “Sorry Kat, I’m swamped on Saturdays.”
“Would Sundays work? How about 10:00am.”
“I could come about 1:00 but I have church at 10:30.”
Katherine looked over at her, “Do you have to go to Church? I’m busy after 1:00 on most Sundays.”
“Katherine, of course I have to go to church, you know that.” Katherine and Rachel had talked a lot about church. The two girls were best friends but it bothered Rachel that Katherine didn’t know the Lord. What bothered her more is that Katherine didn’t want to know anything about the Lord. Rachel was aware of the bad experiences Katherine had encountered with Christians in the past. That’s why Rachel knew it was best not to force church on Katherine and just be the best friend she could be.
“Please Rachel, just a few weeks. It’s not that big of deal is it?”
Rachel had a tug-a-war game going on inside of her. Would it be that bad missing a few weeks of church to hang out with a friend working on an assignment? “I guess not. I’ll meet you at 10:00.”
As Rachel walked home she thought about what Katherine had said. “Why should I go to church?” she whispered to nobody in particular. Rachel had been going to church for as long as she could remember, but why? She did a Bible study on her own and listened to Christian praise and worship songs everyday and she knew her parents did the same. Rachel tried to convince herself that it was fine to miss church for a few weeks but something was still bugging her.
Rachel normally couldn’t fall asleep at night but usually she could read a good book for a while and then drift off. Tonight was different. She couldn’t fall asleep and reading wasn’t helping. Katherine’s words were tugging at her heart so she looked up WORSHIP in the concordance of her Bible.
Psalm 100:2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.*
Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.*
Psalm 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.*
There were many more verses for WORSHIP but Rachel stopped there. Something was not right. The Bible didn’t say she had to be in church to worship, did it? She could worship from home after her meeting. She tried to push the thoughts out of her mind.
After a restless night, Rachel tried to prepare for her day without thinking about Katherine’s words and what she had read the night before. She wanted to believe that it didn’t matter where she worshiped. She could worship from home after meeting with Katherine, couldn’t she?
Following a light breakfast Rachel sat down to do her Bible study. At the top of the page it said,
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. *
The little something that kept bothering her now came first and foremost in her mind. She could think of nothing else. “Let us not give up meeting together”, meeting at church. Then the next line, “as some of you are in the habit of doing.” That is exactly what Rachel was going to do, for about a month. Rachel realized she had made a terrible mistake telling Katherine she could miss church. For one, she should go to church, the Bible said so, church is a place and time where she has the opportunity to fellowship and worship. And two, what kind of a witness was she being to Katherine? All she was showing Katherine was that is was fine to skip church.
Rachel knew she had made a terrible mistake. She reached over and grabbed her phone. She dialed Katherine’s number and waited.
“Hello, Katherine?”
________________
*NIV
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