How 'bout them Wednesdays?

Hey...what do you do on Wednesday night? I know, I know...."I am so tired when I get off work, I just want to go home, get something to eat and chill!"





Who don't? That would be the thing that all of us would like to do. But I'm asking you to consider shocking the socks off of your Pastor no matter what church you attend -- Get your family together......don't worry 'bout the clothes.....grab you something to eat at Mickey D's, Bojangles, or whateva' your quick stop is on the way to church and get connected at the house of all houses -- The Church!





I have been pastoring for more years that you got fingers and toes and I have never witnessed a Wednesday night of worship that was "off the chain" in attendance! I've seen some that were "off" balance when it comes to the comparing of Wednesday night attendance with the Sunday mornin' attendance. In fact, in most ministries, Wednesday night has become the night for the "chosen few". It's almost like we want to be called "The Twelve". LOL





Isn't it interesting that the same folks that call that church "my church" are the ones that will chase a sports ball here there and everywhere, but make no effort to get connected with the Christ-crowd on Wednesday nites. "Pastor...Pastor....ease up 'bro! Ease up!" you may say. I have discovered that connection is important. It's sooooo easy to forsake the spiritual connection that God has provided for you.



I know we live in a world of all kinds of connections, but no matter how much time you spend on Facebook, twitter, myspace, and all the other social media choices out there, nothing takes the place of personal participation. God created us to interact. We need each other!



I am so thankful for the opportunity to get with other believers on Wednesday evenings, be led in worship by a team of 1st Class musicians and singers taking us into a journey of connecting to God and then have the opportunity to hear something that will encourage me in the middle of a week of work, obligation, stress, challenge, and hardship. 'Cause you know what? If you work in the home, outside the home, or both, you are busy, busy, busy! But don't get toooo busy that you don't pop in to the "hope house" on Wednesday night and worship the Lord.



Most ministries have a menu filled with opportunity for all ages. Our ministry has a KIDZONE for the little ones to "play for awhile" and have some "power time" in the Word. Our youth have a state-of-the-art center called the YZONE. It's a great place for them to connect with other students in gaming, music, peer talk, and a time in the Word and worship on their level.



How 'bout them Wednesdays? What do ya' say? Can you join me in the challenge to take your Wednesday night to a new level -- in your life and in the life of your church? Why not start this week! Come on man.....grab that high-dollar cell phone you got in your pocket, ring the wife (after all...you are the one God is holding responsible) tell her to meet you at church. You guys grab the kidz, do a "Happy Meal" and get on down to the church house. There are others waiting there to get to know you, and you need them.

Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us "Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching" (from The Message).

The closer we get to the return of Jesus Christ, the more we should worship together and spur each other on! Let's do it....this Wednesday. Take the challenge....put it on Facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. Text a friend an tell them to meet you there. Shock the socks off your Pastor, and do it again, again, and again.....'cause you need it and it's the "God" thing to do.

CONNECT ION? CONNECTION!

It's 7:00 a.m.!!! We're up. As a matter of fact, we've been up. My wife is "connected" with the heritage of the past this time of year and that means you don't throw vegetables away when they are in abundance -- YOU PUT THEM IN A JAR! So, we were turning the first pot of water on at 6:00 AM to salvage and save those tomatoes! I might be a bit grumpy about "doin' the maters" this mornin', but when the soup's hot and the soup's good in December......no complainin' from this ole boy! "Mmm mmm good....Mmm mmm good.... Joy's homemade soup is Mmm mmm good!" Eat you heart out Campbells! You're sodium filled and sooo predictable!

As we're up and at it in the kitchen tryin' to hit the early task of tomatoes, we both grab laptops with an attempt to communicate to those we need to for the important matters of the day. I'm connected...off an runnng. You know the deal FB, twitter, bloggin', emails, readin' the news to find out that the "Liberal Lion" Ted Kennedy passed away, checkin' the weather, and all that stuff. Joy, the master of that soup we were just smellin' in our head, makes a little noise that seems to express frustration -- "Uuuh!"

"What's wrong baby?" I asked. "I'm not connected!" she replies.

My bloggers block ended. My how important it is to stay connected. I mentioned a little of that last night in the Wednesday night service. That's the service that 10% of the congregation manages to work in their busy evening schedule. Let's pause for a commercial .........

"THANK YOU TO ALL THE FAITHFUL CONNECTORS WHO CONNECT WITH US ON WEDNESDAYS!"

Okay...back to the story. Man...it's so important. Because on Wednesday nights, the tiny one's are in BabiZONE, the smaller kids are in KIDZONE, the youth are in YZONE, and the rest of us aged believers are in the sanctuary......connecting through a season of worship music and a message from the BIBLE. You know, that manual for success in life......eternally. : )

And it's so fun to see people connect. Like a puzzle....the more peices you get into the right place, the easier it is to see what this thing is supposed to look like.

Romans 12:4-5 reminds us ....Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Man, we are one beautiful puzzle that God designed and desires. And when you are not connected to the body that you say you're connected to, it's like we're missin' something that makes us what we're supposed to be.

And don't you remember when you got that puzzle almost completed only to find that isolated peice that fell on the floor. You went after it, picked it up, and placed it in to make the thing whole. So....if you're reading this blog of mine.....and you are "on the floor" when it comes to the house of God that you call home, please....for your sake and ours.....help us get this puzzle complete.

"Ohhhhhhh man! The tomatoes.....the tomatoes.......JOY! JOY! Your tomatoes!"

"Wow...that was close." If I had messed up that batch of "maters" I could have been disconnected. That would not be good.

Connection....it's wonderful. Let the rest of that puzzle see you this Sunday....and Wednesday at your house of worship. Ohh...one more thing.....I did get her laptop connected. : )