Any Given Sunday

Moments before church started, a church member walked over to the pastor, leaned on his shoulder, and whispered, “We’re out of toilet paper in the men’s room.” You understand, this last-minute “vital information” softly spoken in the pastor’s ear wasn’t simply letting him know there was a problem, instead the implication was the preacher was supposed to get up and do something about it. As if he didn’t have other matters on his mind. 

Maybe as you read this, you’re inclined to think this is a fictitious story, or that incidents like this seldom actually happen, but you’d be wrong. This exact thing happened to a pastor friend a few years ago, and be sure, on any given Sunday – this sort of thing happens with regularity. 

If I sound snarky, forgive me. It’s Monday … and Mondays are hard on pastors and preachers. Maybe we will discuss that more later? For now, entertain the above-mentioned situation. I’d like you to consider this all-too-frequent incident from a pastor’s perspective. 

Hours have been spent studying, preparing, and praying over the passage that is about to be proclaimed. There are people coming in the door who do not know Christ and the power of His resurrection. These souls teeter on the edge of eternity, and the preacher’s heart is troubled for them. The pastor will soon climb behind the pulpit and stand between a thrice Holy God and fallen sinners, compelling them to flee from the wrath that is to come. 

Couples, who are struggling in their marriage and contemplating divorce, have gathered. Widows, who have lost their life partner have found their way to a now lonely pew. Teenagers, who are battling with suicidal thoughts and the immense pressures of youth, have decided to come to church and give this “God-thing” a chance. Addicts, of every sort, have assembled with the hope of finding strength and deliverance from their pain and past.

On any given Sunday: cancer patients, new moms, broken-hearted first responders, silent sufferers, wayward children, searching souls, and rejoicing saints all gather – looking to hear a word from God. They are yearning for someone to offer them hope and help and divine direction. They are seeking, praying, pleading for something or someone to help them make sense of the broken world in which they live. And those of us who have the immense privilege of preaching and pastoring, feel the weight, brokenness, and solemnity of the hour. 

It is time to worship this Glorious Triune God. It is Sunday Morning … the Lord’s Day! Time to make God’s greatness known, valued, and adored. It is time to offer up spiritual sacrifices, and also offer Scriptural answers to the questions filling the minds of the hearers. It is that sacred moment when God meets with His people and we are privileged to stand on hallowed ground. 

The preacher’s mind is full. His thoughts are on the passage and his shepherd heart on the people. He is eager to speak eternal truths and proclaim God’s Good News. His heart is heavy, concerned, consumed with the gravity of the hour. There is a burden on his back that he must share to every gathered soul. 

But moments before he assumes the staggering position of speaking for God, someone inexplicably finds it imperative to tell him there is a lightbulb burned out in the sanctuary. Or that we are out of toilet paper in the men’s room. Or that some door handle is loose, or we ran out of candy or coffee. This kind of thing occurs week after week in Christian assemblies everywhere. And it’s disheartening. 

What then is the underlying issue that prompts the writing of this article? It is this: on any given Sunday, Sunday isn’t taken very serious. We modern American Christians simply don’t value the privilege and purpose of worship like we ought. While our Sunday services should not be stiff and lifeless, they should be approached with sobriety. 

I will simply ask you to do this: next Lord’s Day, take notice of what is being discussed before (and after) corporate worship. If you do, you will quickly note, almost everyone is talking about anything and everything, except the things of God. And though on any given Sunday, eternity hangs in the balance, our minds are often captivated by trivial matters. 

It is the underappreciation of the magnitude of the moment that concerns me; that grieves me. Do you truly believe that when God’s Word is proclaimed, souls can be saved and lives can be changed? Are you convinced, on any given Sunday, this worship service can have a temporal and eternal impact on the assembly? If so, then we ought to be more concerned with the Bible than ball games. 

My point being, and I think I can safely speak for all serious-minded pastors, is that too often we trivialize corporate worship on the Lord’s Day. Sadly, many church-goers do not seem to appreciate that worship is far, far more significant than birthday parties and peppermints. 

I guess what I am asking is this – do we truly value the distinct privilege of worshiping the One True and Living God? Or, are our hearts and minds divided by much lesser things? Do we flippantly approach the House of God and the worship of God? The problem is not so much distracting the pastor’s mind, as much as the congregant’s heart being distracted from eternal matters. Is it just another Sunday? Or is it an honored hour to magnify the Name above every name?
If there’s a pressing issue, I want to know. If there is something major going on, let us address it. But as naïve as it may be, I want people preparing their hearts and minds to glorify God, not discussing pig shows and politics. Pastors want their people walking in (and out) the church doors thinking about the greatness of God, rather than hunts or hobbies. Church member, if needed, go grab some toilet paper yourself, or change the lightbulb, and then sit down and silently pray for God’s Spirit to empower His Word and touch your heart and save souls. 

When we gather each Sunday, instead of discussing insignificant issues, we ought to be discussing the Savior! All that other stuff can wait. It really can. It’s not just the preacher who needs to prepare for worship, and tune out the world … so do you!  

Any given Sunday is a Sunday given to worship the King of kings, and we ought to rightly value the privilege of knowing Him and making Him known.