Church on Wednesdays!

I see that legalism is alive and well at the baptistboard, as usual.

Our church has:
Sunday school
Sunday morning services
Sunday night services
Wednesday night services

We go as often as we are able. We do not go because of some ignorant man made rules; we go because we desire to be there.

We also have choir practice, but we don't go to that because we are not in the choir. Judging by what some legalist here would say, that is probably wrong. Go figure.

 

Here is my concern with midweek services: I know there are always those closest to our hearts with health concerns, but it seems like the majority of prayer requests shared at midweek services are for health-related concerns. Shouldn't we also pray for God's direction in our churches, for renewal/revival in our nation, etc?

 

I'm on a volleyball team that plays on Wednesday nights. Part of that "keeping the Temple of the Holy Spirit physically fit" thing.

 

Our church meets Sunday school at ten, service at eleven, choir or spanish class {alternating weeks} at six, service at seven, visitation at ten or two {summer/spring it's ten, winter/fall it's two.} We also have a saturday afternoon for men, one for ladies, one for youth, one for kids, and the fifth for the whole church as a time of fellowhip. We have a ladies Bible study monthly. I do some church cleaning Satudrdays after visitation, and another family comes during the week to clean. We usualy have one or two mission cofrences and several revival meetings a year.
I go unless deathly sick. {or dead, but I've yet to experiance that yet!} I'll check with my doctor, and if I'm not contagious, I'm there. {Though I sit at the back and leave quickly.} I can't function without my church. I need desperatly to hear from God, to hear good preaching, and fellowship. It's a major part of my life. Almost everyting I do in some way reflects Christ. I can't seem to help it. My dad wants to scalp me cause I'm always talking about "what God says" or "Look what I read in the Bible today!"
My church family is just that. A family. I'm closer to them than most of my blood relitives. I call my preacher "Grandpa preacher" and a woman "momma." Another three are my "brother and sisters." I feel like I'm an older sister to the little kids, and a daughter or grandaughter to the older members. Church is the only place I really fit in.
Ya'll may think it funny, or silly or whatever, but last year I signed up for a school trip. It was our senior trip. I didn't find out till it was too late for a refund that the days would also cover a Wensday service. Well we'd payed about four hundred dollors so I went. And on the road, I actualy cried when it was time for my church to start service. I missed them. I missed the study we had been doing. I missed rejoycing in testimony/praise time. I missed singing with my best friends. I missed sitting with my "mom" and seeing those I love above all people. I cried. And when I got there, I called home and wanted to know exactly what went on during the service.
Another time before that, before we had visitation on saturdays, I left on a Thurdsay and got back at two o'clock in the morning that Sunday. Were was I when sunday school started? Sitting in class at church.
Why? Becasue I don't feel complete without church. It's such a vital part of my life. I declair when I get my permitt in May to drive, I'm gonna be there at least thirty minutes early. I don't want to miss any of it. I get picked on something awful too! My pastor actualy gave me a key to the church since I always seem to be there! And they all joke that I should just move in! {I guess they think I'll just stay in the phophet's chamber!} So I know people think I'm a little off. It's just the way I am. I love my Lord, I love His people, I love preaching, I love fellowship. I need it. I crave it! It's as much a part of me as my eye color or skin color.
Now I understand when a person is sick they shouldn't come. By all means, if you've got the flu, pnemonia, strep throught, anything contagious, PLEASE don't come! If I'm sick and my doctor says I can't go, I usualy have a friedn take notes for me, and I'll get them the next service, or I'll ask my preacher what the message was on. I don't want to get anyone sick, especialy now since my pastor's wife has a lung problem. I'm protective of her! {We all kinda are. She's so dear to us.}
If you can go, try to get there. We need strenght to face things through out the week. We live in the battle feild. There IS a spiritual battle. I face it daily when I walk into school, and those of you that work face it everyday. Services are a welcome blessing and rest from the trails of daily life. The only way to grow spiritualy is to hear and read God's word. You wouldn't eat dinner once a week. Well why eat spiritual food once a week? Try to be there. Its' a blessing. It's at church people are convicted of sin, get encouragement, learn, grow, and become strong, mature Christians.
I only wish we had services daily! {grated some people in my church would clobber me if I said that!} Whenever we have revival, I hate to see the meetings end. What a blessing to gather in God's house. We have that freedom here in America to attend. I know I take it for granted. I can't imagine how some beleivers in contries that don't hold the same freedoms must feel. Oh I'm so thankful for a good church! For good preaching, and for my family!
~Abby

 

No one is "forsaking the assembling" of the church by missing some services--that can only be done by leaving the church.

Interestingly, in the context of Hebrews 10:25, the concern was for those who would leave the church and return to Jewish legalism--now the verse is often used in a legalistic way.

Being the church is far more than just being in attendance at a church meeting.

In Christ,

Tim

 

Your interpratation is just a little different. it's kinda like when two people read the same porition of scripture and they get two different meanings. your right and i'm right! now i think that scripture means that you should be encourageing one another even the more now that christ could come back any day now!

GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

christfollower55,

I agree that regular church attendance is important to the spiritual health of a believer.

Having said that your verse for those who have Wednesday night services does not fit.

Hebrews 10:25(NIV)
"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."

Hebrews 10:25 is talking about giving up meeting together. Not missing a particular service. What is your habit, do you have regular habit of attending church or don't you? That is the basis of Hebrews 10:25.

As far as the Wednesday Night Prayer meets, those were not even in existance until the 1800's.

And Sunday Night Services I believe started in the early 1900's(I have to check if it was 1800's or 1900's).

The fact of the matter is that for almost 1800 years the church met once a week on Sundays. I am sure they might get together informally on other nights but that was how it was done.

We cannot take a tradition, such as meeting together on Wednesday nights or Sunday nights and impose that on other churches.

If we choose do it then fine - but do not preach your tradition as the command of God.

In fact if you want to get really technical, we are never even commanded in the New Testament to meet on Sunday - it was the custom of the church but there is no command.

We could meet on Monday if we wanted too.

So as to your statement "for the CHURCHES that DO NOT have service on wednesday nights" -they have not forsaken the assembling of themselves together, they just do it the same as the church had done for 1800 years before Wednesday nights and Sunday night services came along.

Lets us even as Baptists start learning how to seperate our tradition from Biblical commands.

Just some food for thought.

IFBReformer

 

your right as far as the early church going one day a week, however what you didn't state is that they stayed all day. not just the moring service so the sunday night service has alway been since the church started. and i feel if you don't go on wednesday nights how do you make it the rest of the week. i battle satan every day and i need a refill about half way through the week. i feel if you going to commit to church you should be there if physically possible every service. I am not saying that people that don't go are not commited what i'm saying is "do they have the want to?" i don't know. i was raised on sunday and wednesday if you were not in church then you needed to be in the bed cause your sick. that does not include the people that have to work on sunday or wednesday. i just feel like we need to be in GOD's house more with his people encourging one another. getting out into the lost and dying world begging others to get saved before it's to late. that is how i belive this scripture to mean.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

Christfollower,


IMHO,I think the reason our interpretations differ on Heb. 10:25 is that I consider historical context an important factor in understanding what a verse says before I make a personal application. Thus the application here has a lot more to do with avoiding legalism than making sure I'm at the church building every time the door's open.

In Christ,

Tim

In Christ,

Tim

 

christfollower55,

I am not saying your are making it up, I am genuinely curious as a student of church history, could you tell me what evidence you found that the church met all day once a week?

I will not argue with you that being a part of a local church is a critical component to the spiritual well being of a believer.

There are some people though, who need to go to every church activity, every men's bible study at someone's house and every service.

There are others who, are still faithful to the Lord and have a relationship with him, that may attend the Sunday morning Wednesday night services but not the Sunday evening. Others may attend both services on Sundays but not Wednesdays.

I will not stand in judgement of those people. I personally try to attend Sunday School, Morning Worship, Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. I don't attend every activity at my church - in fact I probably don't attend that many.

I have a family and we have our time together. Sometimes on occasions we miss Sunday nights or Wednesday nights when I have worked alot that week and have not been able to spend the time with my family. I stand innocent in my conscience before the Lord that I am not doing wrong by this.

You may think I am sinning but I do not believe that can be supported by Scripture(and we have already discussed the passage in Hebrews so you know where I stand there).

IFBReformer

 

They did meet all day, but not on Sunday as was
said. They met all day on the Sabbath and
continued into the evening, known to many as
Saturday night but known to them and to others
as the first day of the week.

8o)

 

Abiyah,

Interesting. On what do you base your conclusions about when the early church met?

 

The Bible
Jewish tradition
Historical record

 

I am not sure that you can make a case for New Testament Sabbath worship with the bible.

I do not care what Jewish tradition says.

I would like to see the historical evidence. I am not saying it does not exist. I have no idea, but would be interested to see it, if it does exist.

Please do not think that I am implying that you are lying. I am not. I have never heard anything like this in 33 years of being a Christian and would like to see the documentation.

 

Of course, this thread is about going to church on
Wednesday. 8o) How about if we create a new
thread for this in order to not take over this thread
with a neww subject?

If you check through the BB, you will see several
threads on the subject. Some are peaceful; some
are not. While I do not mind debate or challenges,
I am not one to stay where there is deliberate
rancor. Therefore, I would prefer to place the
thread within the baptist only area of BB.

May we start this later? Much if what I learned
re the history of Sabbath was learned from the
public library. Of course, much of the rest is in
the Bible.

Please get back to me if I don't start a thread, if
you are interested. I am having some physical
trouble right now, which occupies the mind. I
would like to have a chance to go to the library
for some copies of what I had read.

 

From Page one,

The Church that I attended the Pastor pretty much forced the parents to put their kids in the nursery. I wouldn't exactly call that family time at church.

christfollower55,
I admire your zealous to attend church but if you have a cold please stay home. I do not want to get sick and I do not want my kid to get sick because they are around sick children.
You may have addressed this already.

Why do you believe there is "no excuse" not to attend church?
It is obvious there are reasons to miss a service but why not an excuse?
Anyway, faith comes by hearing Gods word, I would think staying home and reading your Bible would be just as good if not better than going to church. (every once in a while)

Playing volleyball, going to the local park or having a church BBQ does not increase my faith what so ever. Only when I read his Word and in prayer. Even singing does not do anything for me.
Sorry for the rant.

Gina, Praise the one and ONLY true God, Jesus about your Wednesday service.
I can't even find a good Bible teaching church in my area that meets my standards.
Anyone want to pray for me finding a good Bible teaching church?

I work Wednesday nights so for right now I won't be able to attend wednes service.

 

Mesa, AZ
My standards:
Must have strong doctrine. Lots of scripture used in sermon at the very least (on a bad day) 20-25 scriptures used just on the message and for the most part, it should last longer than 30 minutes.
An adequate nursery.
People around my age.
Friendly people who make you feel welcomed
I prefer the KJV 1611

What I have found:
Churches who love just to sing, if the sermon is over 30 minutes, heaven forbid!
Pastors who start the sermon out with a something about themselves, which is okay on occasion, just not every sermon. I feel the Bible does a wonderful job already on relating scripture to everyday life. I feel that if I stayed at some churches I would learn more about the Pastor, than Jesus.
The Pastor always cracking jokes, on occasion it is okay just not every sermon. I am there to learn and worship Lord Jesus and I do not recall any of the Disciples cracking jokes.

The churches that I have enjoyed the sermons and have learned from, the congregation is way older than me. I really cannot see my family fellow shipping with them. No offense to the elders, I just would like to fellowship with people around my age and help each other out. A balance of age is must, not just one sided.
And/or
The nursery is not adequate enough and my wife and I do not feel comfortable putting our baby in the there.
The pastor is way overbearing, example, this one church I attended once you left the church to go the bathroom you were looked down upon and there were notes on the church door “do not enter, service in progress” Another time he stopped his sermon just to tell a young girl to sit down where she was because he did not want her to distract anyone (she was in the front row). Like him stop preaching was not way more distracting than her. And that just for beginners.

That is just a couple of things I could go further but I feel that I hijacked your thread. I apologize for that