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.