No church on Sunday?

Some of you may be shocked that every year we close for two weeks during our hot Indian summer. Some of you might question if this is even right. Is it Biblical? These are all good questions that need an answer.

As Christ followers we are called to honour the Sabbath and that means taking a break from your regular work or source of employment ( income) so that you can rest and demonstrate your trust that God can and does supply all your needs. The Sabbath day differs depending upon which country you reside in. In the Middle East, the Sabbath is on Friday, while many other countries have Sunday as their  holiday.

Traditionally one has used the Sabbath as a day to assemble as Christ’s followers as is commanded in Scripture. In Hebrews 10:25, we are encouraged not to give up the habit of meeting one another. It does not specify the day, time or manner of the meeting. Remember the early church met in people’s homes or courtyards. The manner of meeting has changed from courtyards to catacombs, to cathedrals, school halls to large auditoriums and so on. So when we do not congregate together in one place, Word of Grace has practised different ways of meeting viz in people’s homes etc.

Everyone needs a break! At Word of Grace, we rely on volunteers to do a lot of the work especially the set up and clear up for our Sunday meeting. This is a small group of our leaders ( all of whom have secular employment) and others who turn up two hours before the meeting for 50 weeks of the year to make sure the place is well set up for the congregation to have a comfortable experience. They also stay back for an hour after the service to clear the hall. They therefore dedicate approximately 6 hours every Sunday to making the Sunday meeting happen for all of us. I am sure you agree that they deserve a break from this routine to spend time with their family, and friends or go on a holiday. We are very grateful for their long years of faithful service and pray that God refreshes them during this time.

In the meantime – we encourage you to use the Sunday morning to have devotionals as a family, or join up with another family and enjoy some good times building your friendships which is an important part of church life. Pray for our leadership and serving teams to be refreshed during this time. Drop them a note of encouragement and appreciate them for their selfless hard work.

God bless and see you in June.