Paul Stohler, Interim Pastor of San Saba's First Baptist Church
Here is an admission: I am not a fan of shopping in stores, especially during Christmastime. Amazon is my best friend. If I do go to a store to shop, I know what I want and I grab it as fast as I can. So, all that to say, Christmas shopping in stores is not my thing. I am a little claustrophobic, so I do not like squeezing through aisles or clothes racks. I also do not have a lot of patience.
The weekend after the kids got out of school for the Christmas break, we decided to do all the shopping we had left at the mall, you know, rip it off quickly like a Band-Aid. My son and I met my wife and the daughter at the mall in northwest San Antonio. On the Saturday. Before Christmas. We pull into the outside loop of the mall, and all you can see is cars. These cars are filling up every single parking spot as far as the eye can see. I mean, every… single…one. My son and I circled for about 20 minutes to no avail. My patience was thinning. One solution to the problem was valet parking; however, there is no way I was going to pay for valet. So, I continued to seek, and seek. Finally, a spot opened, literally the farthest spot away from the store. Good news, I found a spot. Bad news, I would get my steps in for the day.
Not to brag, but I was so proud of myself. I never gave up. I persevered. Why? Because it was important. It was a priority. We needed to get this shopping done. It made me think, do we treat church attendance the same way? Is attending church important? Is it a priority? It should be if we are true believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 reads, “And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (CSB) The first believers in Acts understood the importance as well, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47. CSB) I endured finding parking for 20 minutes and all the busy people because it was important. How much more important is worshiping with other amazing believers and sharing biblical community? With the new year a few days away, and resolutions on your mind, let me encourage you to make church attendance a priority. Take the family. Enjoy it. Engage in the music, the welcome time, and the sermon. If you already go to church every week, thank you for your example! If you have not been to church in a while, the new year is a great time to return. If you have never been to church, take that step of faith. It will be worth it! Please make church a priority in 2023.