I love being a youth pastor here at c|Life. I get the opportunity to lead students and leaders, along with being on staff with people I consider to be some of my best friends. As much as I love doing what I do, summer can get a little tiring, especially this past summer. Between youth camp, mission trip, preteen camp and a couple of weddings, I haven’t slept in my own bed for more than six days in a row since the beginning of the summer. Maybe that’s normal for some of you, but it definitely isn’t for me!
I remember walking into church on the third Sunday of June and realizing that it was my first and last Sunday at c|Life for the month of June. It was in that moment that it hit me just how much I not only enjoy Sunday mornings, but how much I really need Sunday mornings. I missed the people, I missed the worship, I missed the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, and I simply missed being at my church. As I thought I about it, I wondered why I missed it so much. I mean, I was doing Christian-y things while I was gone. I was still praying, I was still reading my Bible, I played a worship song at my sister’s wedding, I had spiritual conversations with my former pastor, and I went to and led a youth camp. I was doing churchy things, but there I was, tired and worn out.
You see, keeping yourself busy and doing churchy and even Godly things isn’t a substitute for church. One thing that I found true for me this summer is that going to church and being a part of corporate worship through song, the proclamation and hearing of the Word, and fellowship with other believers brought a joy to my life that was missing while I was away. And I don’t think that is just an emotion I felt, but rather something that becomes true when we join in worship together with other Christians. When we celebrate the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Christ with other believers, there is so much more joy to be found in him than when we celebrate alone because we are gathering together, as one body, to praise God for everything that he has done for us.
So, this weekend, we invite you to join us at c|Life and not just to come to church, but to actively engage in worshiping our savior together.