Church Attendanc1

Church Attendance

Eight Reasons

Frances Ridley Havergal, British hymnist who wrote such classics as “Like a River Glorious,” once made a list for herself of eight reasons for going to church, even on rainy days:

1.     God has blessed the Lord’s Day, making no exceptions for stormy days.

2.     I expect my minister to be there. I’d be surprised if he stayed at home for the weather.

3.     I might lose out on the prayers and the sermon that would have done me great good.

4.     For any important business, rain doesn’t keep me home; and church attendance is, in God’s sight, very important.

5.     Bad weather reveals on what foundation my faith is built; it will prove how much I love Christ. True love rarely fails to keep an appointment.

6.     Those who stay at home from church because it’s rainy frequently miss on fair Sundays, too. I must not take one step in that direction.

7.     The Bible contains a special promise that where two or three meet together in Christ’s name, He will be in the midst of them.

8.     I don’t know how many more Sundays God may give me, and it would be poor preparation for my first Sunday in Heaven to have slighted my last Sunday on earth.*

[1]

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* Clipping from my files.

[1]Morgan, Robert J.: Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000, S. 126