During a recent conversation with a ministry colleague, the topic inevitably came around to a phrase I have heard before, 'the summer slump' -- that time of the year when attendance at Sunday worship is down, and the budget tends to take a hit. It seems this is a pattern, a cycle in many churches.  I suppose we ought not to be surprised; summer is the preferred time to travel and to do so is often a very positive experience as we break from the normal routines of life and catch up with family and friends.  And very often, people will also take the opportunity to worship in other settings as they travel.

I tend not to be too concerned about 'the summer slump'.  My experience at Valley is that we are a very 'transient' congregation; many are in their retirement years and have the freedom to travel / get away.  On any given Sunday a third or more of our people may be away; the next Sunday they may be back and a different group may be absent.  Some are dealing with health issues that keep them from getting out and let's be honest there are other factors that often compete for our time on Sunday morning. 

It is a different day in the church today; gone are the days when schedules were built around Sunday worship.  I remember my father-in-law arranging his travel to leave after church or to be back for Sunday.  If company was around, they were invited to come along or he would  excuse himself for the hour and half needed to be at church.  If there was a family outing, they simply joined after church.  I had an worship team leader in Markham who carried the same value -- I knew I could count on him.

As I talked with this pastor, there was a sense of resignation around this matter; we really don't have any choice but to accept this 'new reality'; it is what it is and many who would consider themselves regular church goers may be absent 50% or more of the time.  The church has changed, but is it for the better?  How do we develop a strong, vibrant, confident faith while opting out of the worship gathering or passing on the invitation to be part of a small group experience or an opportunity to serve?

In all of this, the words of Hebrews 10 are screaming to be heard:  Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another  (24-25).

We are called to bring out the best in one another, to build up and encourage one another in the faith; to remind each other that being part of the gathering is a significant factor in our spiritual growth and confidence.  Sometimes we need to spur one another on in this regard; to not allow each other to become complacent, to settle for a comfortable, convenient faith.  I've seen many make heroic efforts to get to medical appointments or even to go out for lunch or dinner but on Sunday morning, it's a different story.

It's too easy to stay away, to make excuses and blow off that which the Word identifies as of supreme importance.  One cannot read the New Testament without coming face-to-face with the centrality of church in the life of all believers.  To say 'I'm a believer but church really isn't that important to me', to say 'I'm a Christians but I just don't go to church', is inconsistent with the truth we find in the pages of Scripture. 

It may be that my friend is right, we have no choice but to accept 'it is what it is'.  But I am still going to call you to give God His rightful place in your life; to honor His church; to come, to serve and to give; to do whatever it takes to be faithful to our God and His church.  Sometimes it comes down to a simple commitment...just get in the car! 

Having read an article in the Oliver Chronicle recently, I was initially saddened by what the denomination I was raised in has determined to be the correct Christian teachings. The sadness changed to a desire to shake their heads and change their thinking. Reality set in, and I realized there would be no reasoning with the people who wrote the article. They believe with all their hearts that they are right. My only course of action is to love them, but solidify in my own mind exactly what I believe, and live my life accordingly, so they might see the truth in me.

It was interesting as I went to various denominational sites on the internet how people had obviously given great thought and time to explaining their doctrinal beliefs. Some of the sites were very clear and made sense to me. Others left me deciphering what they meant and wondering why the explanation of their beliefs was so complicated. I left the internet and went to the Bible. The first scripture that came to mind was Mark 10:15 New International Version (NIV): Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Children trust their parents completely. Parents care for them; providing, protecting, correcting, and loving them. That’s what God wants to do for us. A child is quick to believe and trust because they have faith in their parents. Do I have faith in my Father, God, that His inspired Word is absolutely true and relevant? I can’t pick and choose what parts to believe or reject. His Word is truth. It is just as relevant today as it was when He inspired men to write it down for us. When we start debating and arguing, adding our own interpretation, and choosing what parts we will accept, then we do not have the childlike faith that will allow us to enter into a personal relationship with our Father. That said, it is important that we don’t blindly enter into a relationship without making sure that those involved are trustworthy. Where is the proof that God’s Word can be trusted?

Proof for the inspiration of the Bible is the fulfillment of the prophecies, particularly those relating to Jesus (His birth - Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2; His crucifixion - Psalm 22:16-17, Isaiah 53:12; and His resurrection - Psalm 16:10, 22:22). These prophecies, prove that Jesus is the Son of God, giving Him the infallible authority to claim the inspiration  and inerrancy of the Bible.

I remember learning the Apostles’ Creed as a child, and we repeated it most Sundays in church. As I went over it in my mind, it seemed so simple and straight forward. Why have things gotten so complicated? I decided to stick with basics so took at look at the Apostles’ Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
All good there.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended to the dead.
Nothing wrong with this.

On the third day he rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
No problems here.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
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For me, I can be happy with this little bit of doctrine. I’m not interested in all the nitty gritty details. The essentials are the Bible being inerrant and God breathed, and the living word for us today. I believe all that is stated in the Apostles’ creed. From there I move on to my own personal experience with a living God, who interacts with me on a personal level. He may interact differently with you, and that is okay. We treat our
children according to their needs and God does the same. It’s this personal relationship that is so important. The dictionary defines a relationship as “the way in which two or more people or organizations regard and behave toward each other.” God is waiting for each of us to choose to enter into a relationship with him.

I am tired of hearing from people who say, “I believe in God and consider myself a Christian, but the church is not relevant in this day and age.” The church is not the building or Sunday morning service. It is every person who claims to be a follower of Christ. Therefore, if as a believer, you are not happy with your experience with the church, you need to do something about it within yourself. Make God relevant in your
life. Walk with Him, talk to Him, seek Him in each situation, good or bad. Search His Word to know His will, and seek to be obedient. Then, and only then, will the church be relevant in your life. You have something to contribute to the church, and there is a community of believers waiting to know you, if you choose to join them at whatever gathering place you determine is best to associate with. Just remember that you, as a
believer, are the church. The community of believers provides a place for you to worship and socialize, study and learn. You can pick and choose what to participate in and contribute to. You cannot criticize if you do not participate. You are the church, and it is what you make it..

As I put ‘pen to paper’ and draft this posting, there is a question on my mind; a question for which I already know the answer.  Have you ever been in a place of confusion; of doubt and fear and uncertainly?  To one degree or another, we have all been in that place.  And on the other end of the spectrum, we have also been a place where we have experience a measure of certainty and confidence; a place of faith and assurance.
 
It’s been my experience that life is not lived on either extreme but in the middle where we constantly move from uncertainty to certainty, from confusion to confidence, from fear to faith.  And often, the defining moments of our lives come as we make such a journey.  This was true for the prophet Habakkuk.
 
As you read, as you follow his story, it begins in a place of uncertainty; a place of confusion and fear.  God’s people have strayed far from Him and God seems silent to the cries of the prophet.  How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?  (Habakkuk 1:2).  And when He does answer, it is not the response Habakkuk expected.  God tells Habakkuk, I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people.  (1:6)  They will be God’s instrument to judge His own people.
 
Habakkuk struggles with this; he questions God and waits on God -- understanding does not come quickly nor easily.  Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves.  (1:13)  I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.  (2:1)
 
God does answer and assure the prophet that the Babylonians will also be judged but more than that, He reveals Himself to Habakkuk and reminds him of His faithful love and great power.  Habakkuk comes to accept what has been revealed to him:  I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. (3:16)  He may not have totally understood, but he accepts it and recognizes this is part of God’s divine purposes and recognizes he must trust the character of God.  It was this acceptance and trust that becomes a turning point in Habakkuk’s story.  He moves from confusion to clarity, from fear to faith.
 
At the end of the story he is able to declare:  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  (3:17-18)
 
What’s interesting about Habakkuk’s story is that as we come to the end of chapter 3, nothing has changed, the people of Judah are still far from God, the Babylonians are still coming, there is still a measure of uncertainty as he looks at the circumstances around him.  Nothing has changed except this, Habakkuk has changed.  He has turned his eyes away from the circumstances around him and on to the Lord; the Sovereign Lord who is the source of strength and hope and joy.
 
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.  (3:19)
 
It is the Sovereign Lord that allows us to stand firm in times of uncertainty; in Him we can have a strong faith.  Habakkuk teaches us what it is to have a strong faith in times of uncertainty because we have One to whom we can turn to find strength and courage and hope.
 
You will never know that God is all you need, until God is all you have.  And when God is you have, then and only then will you discover that God is all you need.  That’s the message of Habakkuk!