Playing Church

My girls have been loving the new Playmobil Church they got for Christmas. They have wanted this church ever since last winter when they saw it was set to come out late spring of last year. They waited a long time and they have not been disappointed. It's just as perfect for playing church as they thought it would be.
Before Christmas I wanted to make sure my girls still wanted this church, so I subtly asked - "Do you guys still play church a lot with Playmobil?" They emphatically answered of course they do, and then Kayla went on to explain, "See when we play, we play an entire week. So, of course, every Sunday we get everyone all together and it takes forever (imagine a healthy dose of 8 yr old drama here) because we have to get all the chairs and benches all set up and then get all the parents and all the kids all sat down in church and Sunday School and then we can have church."

"So, every time you have church it takes a long time to get everything together."

She replied, "Oh no, Wednesday nights go much faster."

"Why's that?"

"Cause not nearly as many people come to church on Wednesday night."

The first time I published this post, I ended it right here. But, then I decided I just couldn't. Kayla was simply stating things as they are, but her words cut to my heart.

When Andrew and I got married we agreed that Wednesday night church was going to be a high priority in our family. While we were in college we truly felt the need to be spiritually refreshed with other believers in the middle of a week filled with Satan's onslaughts. We reasoned that once we moved away from the college atmosphere we would need mid-week church just as much, because while Satan may not be as clearly palpable, he would be just as active in trying to deceive us. I won't kid you and say that it's always been easy. Having 4 babies in 6 years made it awfully hard to get ourselves out the door, let alone really focus on the service. I'll be painfully honest - sometimes I was just going through the motions, doing what I knew I should do even though my heart wasn't all there.

Oh, but the blessings we are reaping now!!! On nights when Satan is working to convince Andrew and I that we just can't make it to church, at least one of our children will pipe up - "We need to hurry and eat so we can get to church!"

Or the times Satan has nearly won out and Andrew and I agree we just can't make it, a child (or more likely several children) will emphatically state, "What?? We're not going to church?? But no one is sick!! Why can't we go??"

Besides being our greatest cheerleaders for getting to church, as our children have grown, they have each asked some great questions about the sermons and I can see they are learning more and more about God's Word.

I understand that some kids really need to get to bed earlier than Wed. night church lets out. I understand that sometimes people have to work late, or work second shift. What I don't understand is not making church a priority. Believers around the world face fines, imprisonment, even death for gathering in the name of Jesus.

It makes me think of a time when Timothy and I were running late for a Bible study. He was almost 3 yrs old, and he called out to me - "Mommy! We're late! Miss Peggy and Miss Susie are waiting for us! And Mommy - Jesus is waiting for us."

He is waiting for us. Waiting for us to stop our busyness, turn off all our distractions and turn our attention to Him.