An Epidemic in the Church

by Zeke Flores

I see an epidemic in the church today, although the underlying attitude is as old as mankind. The attitude of “I won’t be bothered” manifests itself in many ways. One obvious way is in worship attendance. The number of “stay-at-home” Christians is growing. For a while, at the tail end of the pandemic, those who stayed home outnumbered those who determined to attend every worship service or Bible study the local church offered.

Many reasons can explain why a Christian decides to stay away when his brethren are assembling: hypocrisy among the members, personal grudges, scheduling conflicts, sickness (both major and minor), and the ever-popular “The Bible doesn’t say I have to attend every service!”

I get it. Sometimes, things come up, and we must choose what to do. Sometimes, our illness may not be severe, but it’s contagious, and we don’t want to infect others. And, no, the Bible doesn’t say we must attend every time the doors open. We are, after all, an army of volunteers.

However, just as one’s attitude can determine how one dresses for worship, it can also affect whether one attends in the first place. Please understand that I’m not suggesting that every time one misses a worship service, his heart is not right, but I am suggesting that it can certainly be an underlying cause.

For instance, having to interact with someone we may not like much forces us to inspect whether we can “forbear” with others as Colossians 3:12-13 says we should. Other commitments scheduled during worship time are an opportunity to decide whether we’ll put the kingdom first or something else, however important it might be, as Jesus instructed in Matthew 6:33.

Fellowship isn't safe, nor is it convenient. Sometimes, we may have to force ourselves into polite conversation with someone who just isn’t our cup of tea. Or when we’ll have to make a tough choice about devotion to God and encouragement to His people when other pressing matters present themselves. Or when choosing between an uncomfortable pew and a soft, inviting couch.

But there’s an assembly of believers who need you, and you need them. In His wisdom, God grouped us into local churches for a reason. Perhaps it’s to experience a sense of belonging that we can’t get anywhere else. And if we’re not getting -- or giving -- it, it’s time to ask why.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering ... not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:23, 25).