Your Voice

Why do we worship on Sunday?

At Easter Sunday worship  I heard someone say, “I am so glad we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus once a year.” I was shocked! And I hope those who read this are equally shocked.

After all why didn’t the early Christians choose Friday, the day of crucifixion, as the time for collective/corporate worship? If the crucifixion in itself was God’s main point, why didn’t the early Christians and every generation of Christians since choose Friday as the day of worship?

Why did they choose Sunday? To collectively celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Why has the Church continued choosing Sunday as the day for collective/corporate worship? Because of the resurrection!

Yet strangely enough churches continue to place a cross on their buildings and elsewhere, rather than an empty tomb, as the symbol of the Christian faith. Why not both? Why not reflect the New Testament emphasis?

Something critical seems to be out of focus. After all in the New Testament, … the death of Jesus is always matched by a parallel emphasis on His resurrection. To emphasize the death of Jesus apart from His resurrection seems an imbalanced viewpoint, or one that is not consistent with Scripture.

The Apostle Paul, for example, stressed that apart from His resurrection, “our preaching means nothing and your faith means nothing” (1 Cor. 15:14).

So let the proclamation of the death of Jesus be done boldly and unapologetically. But do not dare do so apart from also proclaiming boldly and unapologetically His resurrection — unless you prefer to present an inadequate, lopsided message of Jesus Christ.

Morris Murray Jr.
Jasper Ala.

Letters to the editor

Praise our Lord! I read your opinion piece from “Rashional Thoughts” in the April 14 issue and was incredibly encouraged.

The questions you challenged us with regarding “what our daily lives might look like if we intentionally sought to serve others sacrificially” was truly inspiring and convicting.

I am currently serving as interim pastor of FBC Irvington in Mobile County and was so convicted, I shared this piece with the congregation.

Thank you for allowing the Holy Spirit to use you as you listen for direction from our Lord.

Pastor Charles Robertson
Mobile, Ala.

Don’t let the newspaper headlines frighten you. God is still sovereign; He’s still on the throne.

Billy Graham
Evangelist and minister (1918–2018)

“I’ll never forget Jerry Falwell asking me, ‘I’ve heard some stories about the lifestyles of some of the artists. Are they true?’ I said, ‘They probably are.’ I said, ‘Jerry, if you’re waiting for me to get a roomful of unflawed artists, it’s not going to happen. These are human beings who have been gifted in a special kind of way, and they’re trying to work through it in these earthly bodies, and sometimes they make mistakes,’” said Bill Gaither, Southern gospel and contemporary Christian artist, speaking in “The Jesus Music” documentary.

“We may not understand all that [God] is doing, or even how He is doing it, but we can recognize that He is doing something quite unique,” said Dana Bomar, Send Relief’s Afghan refugee response specialist.

“Thousands of students have served throughout the years, and many people across the globe have heard the name of Jesus and turned to Him for salvation as a result of these Alabama student missionaries taking a step of obedience and giving a summer to serve,” said Chris Mills, Alabama State Board of Missions student missions mobilizer.

“Every time I’m around a person, I want to know where he [or she] stands with the Lord,” said former IMB missionary Ellamae Elder, who recalled recently having a conversation with someone at a store about how her husband “is with the Lord. I speak openly about the Lord. I just make it into my daily conversation.”

“Our missions education and missions discipleship is so important to the growth and health of a church, but we’ve almost made missions discipleship and missions an elective. And it’s not,” reflected Connie Dixon, national WMU president.

“It has been unreal how God is working. We have the gospel to share with them and there’s nothing better for them to hear,” said Bobby Carr, youth pastor at Flemingsburg (Kentucky) Baptist Church, of a ministry effort to reach middle school students.

From the Twitterverse

@EdLitton
Jesus said, “Go … and make disciples” not — make converts to your opinions. @myutmost

@CatherineRenfro
Imagine the impact if every follower of Jesus had one person that they are praying for and looking for an opportunity to share the gospel with. Who will you pray for and share with? @whosyour1_

@micahfries
My favorite social media is almost always parents highlighting and bragging on their kids. Pictures and/or videos are even better. We need more of that and much, much less angsty/political/theology social media.

@ethicist
The only thing more difficult than waiting on God is wishing that you had.

@GreggMatte
It is possible to know a lot about Christianity, go to a Christian church and live among Christian friends without having to actually have Christ in you.

Christianity is more than behavior and knowledge; it involves an inward transformation of the heart.

@trillianewbell
Can anyone be trusted? I don’t know the answer to that question anymore, but I know without a doubt that God can be trusted.

God is holy, pure, lovely and just, worthy of our complete trust and adoration.

That’s what I know.

@LysaTerKeurst
God’s not running from our mess. He’s climbing into it to be right there with us. And with His presence comes peace. Yes. The Lord is near. And we are safe.

@DanielRitchie
Don’t find yourself in your stuff. Don’t find yourself in your successes.

Don’t find yourself in what has been done to you.

Stake your life on the person and work of Jesus Christ. His grace exceeds what gains you can capture on your own and His grace covers your deepest failure.

@lorifrank1
Having a day when I’m just disgusted by the schemes of the enemy. He exploits our weaknesses and fights so dirty with pain, shame, lies. “He who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” God give us mercy and grace.

@howertonjosh
If we can’t do disagreement without demonization, something’s messing with the throne room of the heart.