It’s Sunday again!
What are you doing?
Today is the fellowship meal at our church. (Think big potluck, only a team of people cook the whole meal so nobody has to bring anything.) It’s also my and my son’s turn to run the audio/visual equipment. Some friends are going to be visiting us for church today, too. So it’ll be a full day. And I’m looking forward to it.
Every now and then, Sundays simply get too busy. We lose our day of rest in favor of a day of hustling and bustling and meeting all the demands of life and the different church ministries in which we volunteer. On those days, I take a deep breath, look around at everything I’m involved in, and ask myself an important question.
Am I doing this because God wants me to, or did I trip and fall into it without asking Him?
Both have been true at different times in my life.
I learned an important lesson years ago. I was plugged into so many different ministries at church that I was constantly busy. In fact, I was so busy doing things for God that I wasn’t doing anything with God.
I took that lesson to heart. No matter how good a ministry might be, no matter how noble – or even how godly – I don’t get to decide whether or not it’s the ministry for me. God makes those calls. My job is to listen and obey.
So these days, when I get one of those Sundays where I feel like I can’t breathe, I take a step back to survey the situation. Thankfully, none of them are terribly time-consuming, and I’m in each of them because God called me to them. But they do still all occasionally converge on a single day. Life gets a little frenetic when that happens, but it really is a rare thing.
Even so, when it happens, I take the time look at my life, where I’m serving, and why I’m in those ministries. I don’t want to lose touch again and find myself so busy doing for God that I forget to live life with Him.
What about you? What does a typical Sunday look like? And what do you do when the ways in which you serve seem to overwhelm you?
Blessings!
Heather
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Wemble says
Hi Heather, hope your day has gone well. Saturday is our day for church and fellowship- we regularly have lunch with friends, outside, if the weather is good. That leaves Sunday to clean, cook for week ahead and do some biking/walking/climbing- anything active:)
Blessings:)
Heather Gray says
Sounds like a marvelous way to enjoy the weekend! Sometimes – especially when I have a lot on my plate all at one time – I wish for a day of rest after our church day. ^_^
Diana says
We are in a new season, having just retired and moved from our home and church of 30 years. We were volunteering for a lot of different things. Now we are relaxing and trying to see where God would have us attend church. We are spending time with our adult kids which is a blessing. Today we will go to church in English with our son, daughter, and son in law in Nashville, Tenn. Last week we went to church in Spanish in Bowling Green,Kentucky with our oldest daughter and son in law and grand kids. If we spoke Spanish that is where we would attend , since that is where we’ll be living. I’m determined to only get busy as God leads.
Renate says
Blessings this Sunday, Heather! After being in the ministry 24 / 7 for 25 years and now in retirement caring for our grandkids 5 days a week – now in retirement weekend is down time. Time to relax, to read, to take road trips, explore and just enjoy life! Over 50 years we served others in many rolls – teaching, singing, and ministering! So on this Rainy Sunday morning, I am still in bed reading. Blessings to all!
Jackie Smith says
Before my health declined and before moving….I did most any job in the church!!!
Heather Gray says
I speak a teeny, tiny big of Spanish, but I love listening to a Spanish church service. I’m often at church when our hispanic congregation meets, and I love listening in on the sermon. (Even though I can only understand about 10% of it.) ^_^ Wishing you many blessings as you seek God’s guidance about where to attend!
Heather Gray says
Isn’t it wonderful how God moves us through different seasons and stages of life, and how each one has its own challenges and blessings? Life never gets boring when we continue to live each day for God. Enjoy your rainy Sunday!
Heather Gray says
When you’ve been in church long enough, you’ve probably done everything, right? I can remember when my kids were 4 & 6 years old – we’d go down to the church and clean the bathrooms. They also walked the sanctuary after Sunday service, too, to clean out the pew backs – all the bulletins and odds and ends that people would leave behind. Now here I am in my 40s, and I’ve become the person who walks the sanctuary on Sunday night and cleans out the pew backs. There’s some irony in there somewhere about the circle of church life, I’m sure. Churches need people who are willing to serve, though, and who don’t mind stepping in and filling the need when a need arises. Blessings to you!
Paula says
We are retired but active in Church. Today we had a ladies circle potluck but only four of us stayed. We had 4 graduates in the service so I guess everyone was busy today. I have had to pick and choose– Since we moved, I’m not in choir anymore because there is no structured choir– but they would like me to start one. But I must try to be obedient to my husband. We are also helping out our son and his family. They are building a new house and obstacles keep cropping up.
When we were pastoring in Wisconsin for 11 years we did everything at Church, too– bathrooms to priming the pump and chopping wood! Not to mention counseling acquaintances on the phone while trying to cook dinner!
At each season of our life all we can do is do what the Lord would have us do. It changes as we go through different stages . Sometimes it comes full circle!
Heather Gray says
Amen to different seasons! That’s part of what prevents life from getting too predictable, right? I have a friend who led choir for many years and loved it. But God moved her away from that ministry and in a different direction. She misses choir, but she also loves the ministry that God now has her in. It’s more suited to where she’s at in life right now, too. God always knows what’s best. :)
Gail Estes Hollingsworth says
Our church celebrated our 30th anniversary today! We weren’t charter members but have been members for 25 years. The church started with 165 members in a funeral home. Today we have several buildings and at least 2000 members or more! I may be way underestimating. Just in the last ten years over 1000 were baptized.
The quartet Triumphant shared the first hour and were excellent!