7 Habits: Gathering for Divine Service

I almost feel silly even having to write this first post in this series.  Encouraging Christians to gather for the divine service is like telling any normal people to fill up their lungs with oxygen or their car with gas.  But in our day a defense of gathering for Divine Service is certainly warranted.  Many have been deceived into thinking that gathering to God with his people is not essential to life with God.

The defense can be made in various ways.  It can be made the way of God’s command:

Exodus 20:8-10  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.   Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.

Hebrews 10:24-25  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

But while that may crush us into acknowledging God’s will for our life, that alone will not cause us to wear out a pew week after week.  No, only God’s kindness leads to repentance.  Only the promise of his gifts moves people into the pews.

Do you want eternal life?  Do you need forgiveness?  Do you want to belong to something bigger than yourself?  Then come to Divine Service each week.  This is where God has promised to be to give you all of his gifts in his Word and Sacraments.  This is where God (hence, Divine) serves (hence, Service) you with eternal life his Son Jesus has earned you by his innocent life, bitter death, and joyous resurrection.  There your sin and death are removed and his life given.  There you are made part of his holy habitation on this earth, his Church.  Yes, there you are gathered to God and his people.

Do you have to come?  Well if you wish to live, the answer is ultimately, “Yes.”  But please get the question right.  Do I get to come?  The answer is absolutely, “Yes.”   God wants you to live.  And so he invites you to Divine Service not just once, but each week in order to sustain in you the life that is yours through Baptism.

Gathering for Divine Service is just what the people of God do.  They hear the voice of their Shepherd and gather to him.  It is a habit of those made holy by Jesus.

This post is part of a series called Seven Excellent Habits.