Ministries:
Adult | Teens | Children

Pastor's Pen's:
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Sermon Series:
Following Jesus
Earthly Cross
His Name Is
Apostles Creed
Dealing with Feelings
Jonah
Get Real
Promised Land Living

Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2003

Grace Church of Burlington October 19, 2003  “What are your kids learning about church?”                                                            A young boy came to Sunday School late. His teacher knew that he was usually very prompt and asked him if anything was wrong. The boy replied, no, that he was going to go fishing but his Dad told him that he needed to go to church. The teacher was very impressed and asked the boy if his Dad had explained to him why it was more important to go to church than to go fishing.  To which the boy replied, yes he did, Dad said he didn't have enough bait for both of us. Now there was a Dad who was sending his son the wrong message.              Unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who are sending their children the wrong message about church attendance...many of them naively. America is quickly becoming a churchless culture. Too often Christian parents are teaching their children that church is a small part of their lives that it is optional and is to be participated only when it is convenient. What they do not realize is the great spiritual price that they themselves will ultimately pay and that their children and grandchildren will pay.             Statistics show that today it is “normal” for the average Christian to miss one third of the worship services during a given year. Yet, would a parent be considered a responsible parent if they allowed their children to miss one third of the school year? What boss would keep an employee who missed a third of work in a given year? It would be totally unacceptable. However it is acceptable to be cavalier about church attendance. But school and work will not make a difference in eternity. At church we learn how to go to heaven as well as how to live heavenly now.             Add to that the church has so little time already to make an impact. When I was in roofing many years ago, we worked long, hard hours during the roofing season because we knew that our time was very limited. Because we were doing spray-applied urethane, we could only roof when there was no precipitation and the temperature was above 40 degrees. Schools have approximately 1200 hours a year. If a business runs Monday through Saturday, they have approximately 2500 hours a year to produce. A church, though, has less than 200 hours a year to make a spiritual impact. And if folk only attend the worship service it drops to less than 60 hours.             Scripture warns us not to succumb to the temptation to cut corporate worship out of our lives. Hebrews 10:25 says, “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.” Though Christians around the world often risk their lives to worship, in America we will delete worship from our schedule at the drop of a hat. Sunday becomes a day to sleep in or to catch up on yard work or the never-ending home projects. Then, there is fishing, hunting, football, wrestling, biking, snowmobiling, etc. There are shows and fairs to attend. If out of town guests are visiting or a family activity is scheduled, we jettison church. If one child is sick, the whole family stays home. And then there is always the temptation to work overtime to make the “big bucks.” Over the years I’ve had folk confess, “Yeah, we played hooky this week.” Yet the same folk will drag themselves to work even if they are seriously ill. Sadly, I fear the reason that we are so willing to play “hooky” from church but not from work is that we worship our work and play at our worship. Our financial health has precedence over our spiritual health.             The warnings God has given us about neglecting corporate worship and participating in our spiritual community are very serious. To neglect them has a very high price tag. The greatest tragedy, though, is that we are modeling a nonchalant attitude toward worship for our children. Frequently, what we do in moderation, the next generation often does in excess. Though adult children are personally responsible for their choices, I fear that the reason that many of them never make worship a part of their lives, never join a church or become involved in a spiritual community, is that they were never taught either by word or example by their parents that it was important.             I don’t know about you but I want my grandchildren to go to heaven. And my grandchildren’s opportunity to hear the gospel will be increased if my children raise them in church. That’s why at the Carson home, if you live there, you go to church every Sunday. It’s not a question or an option. And if you want our assistance with college expenses, then you must find a church home while you are away at school. A couple of hours a week seems pretty cheap for several thousand dollars a year.             Scripture teaches that corporate worship and participating in a spiritual community is essential to our spiritual health. Do you believe the Bible? If you do, church will be a top priority in your life and in the lives of your children!