June 21: The Third Sunday after Pentecost
“Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” –John 6:56
There’s a terrible saying that is very common to hear today. It goes like this: “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” It has a very spiritual air to it, almost like going to church is somehow a danger to your faith. But Jesus speaks of abiding in him as feeding on his flesh and drinking his blood. Not a little bit of ink has been put to paper to try to make this verse (and the whole passage) not say what it is obviously saying.
But, the implication is the really important part: while it may be true that you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian, you do ordinarily have to go to church to abide in Christ. Going to worship with the people of the kingdom to sing the songs of the kingdom to the King, to hear the King speak to his people in preaching, and to pray kingdom prayers and eat together from the King’s table is going to help you abide in the King immeasurably more than a private devotion at home. The church at worship is where the weak are made strong, the sinful are reminded of their justification, and the gospel erupts with power. Who’d want to miss that?
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
Lead On, O King Eternal
Like a River Glorious
Amazing Grace
Sunday school for children (on Acts and the Early Church) and adults (on Reformed eschatology) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!