Saturday Night

This is a Saturday night - a stormy, yet, tranquil one too. A couple weeks back I was pushed by a statement made by a friend as we met over coffee, he said, “I like to not do anything on my Saturday nights, nothing crazy at least. I like to just get ready for church. It makes such a huge difference you know?” I think about that every Saturday night now, especially the nights I have to work. I hate having to work on Saturday evening because it leaves me hardly any time, or energy, to get things ready for meeting with the church before God. This thought pattern was confirmed again shortly after when I read about the “Discipline of Church”, in the book, “Disciplines of a Godly Man”. In this particular chapter on Church, which discussed many different topics ranging from church-hopping, to membership, to the state of the church today, it briefly spoke about how to handle one’s Saturday night in preparing the heart for the next day. Heavily emphasizing the practical steps of doing this like ironing a shirt the night before, or planning what’s for breakfast, putting gas in the car – essentially getting everything ready on Saturday so as to make the Sunday morning, preparing to meet for Church, a time without distraction or frustration. It also, though, puts a great weight on preparing the heart for worship and clearing up all complaints and sins with God before – so to, as much as possible, come before God with a clear mind, ready to worship, be taught, be pushed, be loved, and to partake in communion with fellow believers. A mind and heart without hindrance, ready to wholly give itself to God.

To begin I want to grasp the importance, purpose and relevance of Church. Hebrews 12: 22-24 says, “but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” This is Church! We meet with God, judge of all, and Jesus, Who’s blood washes our sins away! Oh how much a fool I would be if I came to this place with anything but worship.

So tomorrow is Sunday. And I will rise, if the Lord wills, to begin the Sabbath with a clear heart and mind, and a plan to bring myself smoothly and without hindrance into the fellowship of believers before a mighty, holy, loving, awesome God.