A minister was once asked to define “Faithful Attendance at Worship,” and this was his reply: “All that I ask is that we apply the same standards of faithfulness to our church activities that we would in other areas of our life. That doesn't seem too much to ask, now does it? The church, after all, is concerned about faithfulness. And why shouldn’t she be? She is simply echoing the Bible’s call for loyalty to God and to His church. Please consider the following examples.

If your car started one out of three times, would you consider it faithful? If the paperboy skipped Monday and Thursdays, would they be missed? If you didn’t show up at work two or three times a month, would your boss call you faithful? (he’d probably called you unemployed!). If your refrigerator quit a day now and then, would you excuse it and say, ‘Oh well, it works most of the time.’ If your water heater greets you with cold water one or two mornings a week while you were in the shower (exceptions being your teenaged daughter), would it be faithful? If you miss a couple of mortgage payments in a year’s time, would your mortgage holder say, ‘Oh, well, ten out of twelve isn’t bad?’”

I think by now you get the pastor’s point. If you miss worship and attend meetings only often enough to show you’re interested but not often enough to get involved, are you faithful?

I once read a letter on attendance that was sent to a pastor. It went something like this:

Dear Pastor,

You often stress attendance at worship as being very important for a Christian, but I think a person has a right to miss now and then. I think every person ought to be excused for the following reasons and the number of times indicated:
- Christmas (Sunday before or after)…..1
- New Year’s (party lasted too long)……1
- Easter (away for the holiday)………….1
- July 4 (national holiday)………………..1
- Memorial Day (visit hometown graves) 1
- Labor Day (need to get away)…………1
- School closing (kids need a break)……1
- School opens (one last fling)…………..1
- Family reunions (spouse and mine)…..2
- Sleep late (Saturday’s activities)………4
- Deaths in family…………………………4
- Anniversary weekend…………………..1
- Sickness (one for each family member).. 5
- Business trips……………………………3
- Vacation (3 weeks)……………………..3
- Bad weather……………………………..6
- Ball games………………………5
- Unexpected company………….5
- Time change (spring & fall)……2
- Specials on TV (Super Bowl)….3
Pastor, that leaves only two Sundays per year. So, you can count on us to be in church on the 4th Sunday in February and the 3rd Sunday in August unless Providentially hindered.

My wife and I just returned from a 10-day trip to Colorado where my eldest son and his wife live. Actually, to be more specific, they live in Denver, but we did not spend all 10 days there. No, we journeyed out into the hinterland to enjoy the sights and sounds. And it was spectacular, to say the least. No doubt about it, we were on a “Rocky Mountain High!”

I heard a song the other day about Colorado, and one of the lines went, “Colorado may not be heaven, but it must be on the way.” I couldn’t agree more. The majestic mountains, the cascading rivers, the wildflowers and valleys are unequaled. And the temperature, “Wow!” is all I can say. This was in mid-July, mind you, and although the temperature was in the mid 90’s in Denver, it was in the low 70’s in the mountains. And the humidity is in the 20 percentile. In the evening it would drop down to the low 50’s. It shouldn’t be surprising, for this is after all, the high desert region. Who could ask for anything more?

I’m pretty much of a “flatlander” from the Midwest, so to me this was a rare treat. We traveled down to Ouray, which is a small former mining town, about 6 hours drive from Denver in southwest Colorado. Ouray has become a tourist goldmine now. In the winter it is a popular ski launching point and in the other three seasons, it is perfect for those who enjoy hiking, exploring via off-road vehicles, and white-water rafting (something that is on my personal agenda, once I talk my wife into it).

My wife and I do enjoy hiking and spent a good deal of time doing just that. The awe-inspiring vistas were well worth the often strenuous climbs. The only negative part of the whole experience was praying up the mountain. Not that praying is negative, but what precipitated it. My son and daughter-in-law love to drive on what I would call hazardous roads (or should I call them “trails”?). In any event, there are no shoulders, no guardrails, and often only room for one vehicle. When one looks out over the edge of the road, it is a drop off, straight down of about 2,000 feet.

On one occasion we were headed over Red Mountain Pass on a paved road which was under construction. Workers had just finished resurfacing a section and the white line that marks the edge was actually slightly off the edge of the road, which meant that if you wandered to the right of it, you could end up at the bottom of the gorge. Can you believe it?

This makes our fourth trip out there, but each time we go, we have the pleasure of visiting a different area. Colorado is a virtual playground. Recreation abounds. I can imagine if you lived there, you would not have a need to travel anywhere else (Do I sound like a member of the tourists department?). I told my son that if he would just finish off his basement level, we could move there. He didn’t take the bait, but just smiled.

One day, as we ascended a trail, we stopped for a few minutes just to catch a glimpse of a valley, stretching out before us several hundred feet below. It was absolutely awesome. My son said, “You know, Dad, I’ve heard people say they don’t believe in a Creator, but how could anyone see what we’re looking at, and believe that? I concurred of course and instantly there came to my mind a scripture, “You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength” (Psalm 65:5,6).

I can only agree with what the Psalmist said in 8:1: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.”

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF “THE CHAINS AT WEST POINT?” If not, its time you did! Historical information such as this should not be overlooked as we contemplate the struggle that our forefathers endured to ensure liberty for all of us.

Few places in the world have more significance than West Point. Here, in 1775, General George Washington’s emissaries selected a site to protect access to the Hudson River Valley from the British. Their best choice was “the West Point,” where the river narrows into an s-shaped bend, surrounded by high cliffs, and where it is buffeted by unpredictable winds and difficult tides.

Here, in 1778, the colonists had one of the most strategic fortifications in the new nation. While Washington and his troops suffered through the winter at Valley Forge, Americans at West Point were using the unique terrain and river configuration to build a defensive position that would prevent the British from sailing up the Hudson. The British strategy was to use the Hudson River to cut off New England from the rest of the states.

Here, in 1778, a great chain was erected across the river from West Point to Constitution Island. The links, some of which are still on display at Trophy Point, were as large as dinner plates. Because of its weight, the chain had to be supported by long rafts. Its use as a deterrent apparently was successful---it was never tested.

And here, in 1780, Major General Benedict Arnold, hero of Saratoga and then commander of West Point and the Hudson Highlands, turned traitor and tried to sell the fortress to the British.

West Point today is dotted with monuments to the past. Cannons, chains, statues and restored fortifications remind us of the struggle for freedom. These monuments exist not only to point to the past, but to help preserve the future. They stand to remind future generations that freedom is not free. From Valley Forge to Normandy, from Gettysburg to Baghdad, freedom has never been free!

The founders of our nation believed that they would be free men as long as they lived in obedience to the authority of Almighty God. That truth has not changed. Freedom is still a spiritual movement: freedom under God is its foundation. To be able to think, believe, and act from a conscience in subservience to the will of God is the greatest freedom of all. Written by the Reverend Samuel Smith, and first sung in historic Park Street Church on Boston Common on July 4, 1832, the following song, familiar to us all, expresses the role of freedom in its American context.
My country, ‘tis of thee
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing:

Land where my fathers died
Land of the pilgrims’ pride
From every mountain-side
Let freedom ring.

My native country, thee
Land of the noble free
Thy name I love;
I love they rocks and rills
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

The final stanza of this hymn is sung in the Cadet Chapel of West Point each Sunday at the conclusion of the service.

Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty
To Thee we sing
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light:
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King.