Pajama Sunday

Trees have always held a special place in my heart. As a young boy, I would walk through the woods and breath in the scent of wet bark. I enjoyed the sound of dried leaves crunching under my feet. I loved watching branches blowing in the breeze and summer leaves shaking wildly at the wind’s command. My main interest in trees, though, centered on identifying the ones that were good to climb. The best trees were those with large, low branches, because the most difficult part of climbing a tree was getting up to that first limb. But once that first branch was reached, it seemed as though the climbing became easier. The next branch was always in view, and before I knew it, I was at the top.

The first step of any journey is the most difficult. Whether it is a new relationship, a new job, or the first day at school. Day one is always tough.

We all tend to get into ruts, but as a wise man once told me, a rut is nothing more than a grave with two ends knocked out. One writer has called it the death of the familiar. I have in mind a particular rut.

One of the changes in our world this year was our inability to go to church. The pandemic forced us to stay home on Sundays for the safety of all. Churches were left scrambling to update their technology to include live streaming of the services. This ended up being quite a blessing. It was something churches desperately needed to do.

But now, for most of us, churches are open for business. There are those in our community of faith that need to stay home for health purposes, but for the rest of us, it is time to get back to church. All safety precautions need to be taken, of course, but having said that, again, it is time to get back to church.

Now I know it is more comfortable to stay at home in your pajamas. Munching on Cheerios while the song leader sings off-key, and the preacher slobbers on himself, might seem like a good idea; but it is not. If you are feeling uncomfortable at this point, perhaps it is because you have become lazy concerning your return to the house of worship. There is a simple remedy for this dilemma. Throw your pajamas in the corner, get dressed, and come back to church.

The Bible warns, “do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together...” The day of the Lord’s return is coming soon. Look out over the world, believer and I think you will agree that we only have a few days left. I encourage you to spend those last few days mixing it up with other believers every Sunday.