09/20/2024
Ever wonder why Christians worship together on Sundays?
Maybe it's been a long time since you've been part of a church. Maybe a church gave you a bad experience. Maybe church feels like a distant memory, or maybe church seems painful to think about or talk about.
Those are significant feelings and not to be ignored; even our lament has a place before God. Sadly, the fact is that there are unhealthy churches, unwelcoming people, unbiblical sermons, and so on.
So with all the disappoints and problems with churches, why worship together on Sundays?
The answer is threefold — which we can answer in reverse.
First, why Sunday? The early Christians worshiped on Sunday because of Christ's resurrection on the first day of the week. In the first century, Christians changed the gathering time in the temple from Saturday to Sunday — not only as they were excluded from the temple but also as they began to relive the resurrection on a weekly basis.
The "Day of the Lord" is an ancient idea that looks ahead to the end, to the fulfillment of God's promises. But Oscar Cullman points out that when Revelation 1:10 says the "Lord's Day, the author John is referring to Jesus, and when we celebrate on Sundays, we are reliving the "festival" of resurrection anew each week — while also looking ahead to the eschaton, the fulfillment of God's promises in Christ.
Second, why together? It's significant to note that resurrection is a communal event. We do not resurrect alone. Resurrection is not individualistic; God is personally resurrecting us, and we do not arise to live alone but with others.
The biblical narrative is clear: When Jesus rose from the dead, everyone around him was affected. Likewise, at the end of time, we are resurrected together, not alone.
So while it's good an profitable to worship alone, and we should be doing this throughout the week, gathering together provides a deeper, more meaningful connection to God and others — as it reflects the reality of resurrection and the life to come.
In short, heaven is not a private event; so public worship in the present, together as the church, captures the essence of God's intention, which is not merely to save you but the world.
Third, why worship? Resurrection brings us together into a community, and that community is compelled to worship. We have new life in Christ, and that gives us reason to praise.
Again, Oscar Cullman points out that it is not a mistake that John's vision in Revelation comes on the Lord's Day. John experienced the Spirit and in a worshipful manner looked ahead to
What does this mean?
Christ has given us freedom, and Paul tells us not to argue about religious festivals -- so the point is not the day but the meaning of the day.
Specifically, celebrating our risen Lord together, for in Christ we live and move and have our being. For we are not alive for our own sake but for God's glory and for the sake of the entire world.
So rather than isolating ourselves, let us recognize that in the difficult of these days, including the pains of death, may we join together to celebrate the life that is and the life yet to come.
