Today the remnants of Hurricane Ike whipped through our area. It was at its worst during early service - which was as full as normal. It was manifestly dying away by the time of late service - which was rather sparse. Go figure. It seems that it is invariably this way: the 7:45 crowd attend Divine Service come hell or high water; the 10 crowd, not so much. Why is that???
We've had steady heavy rain for about 6 hours here on the east side of the state. Church parking lot flooded a bit during church, and we had to take a alternate route home.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Sun School teachers canceled Sunday School because "of all the flooding." Never mind that Sun. Sch. is after church and everyone who is going to be there is ALREADY THERE. So, our 6 yr old sat with us for Adult bible class. She was good girl, too; she sat nicely and drew lots of pictures.
Now we're home shop-vac-ing the puddles in the basement. Well, the man of the house is. Hope your side of the state is much less wet!
You have a 7:45 service on Sunday morning???
ReplyDeleteI admit it, I'm a little jealous.
Waiting until 10 am on Sundays for liturgy is challenging for this impatient Christian ...
You must be more deliberate to wake up earlier than later. Temptation sets in over the course of the morning?
ReplyDeleteI have noticed over time that the ebb and flow of first and second service is interesting. For months at a time first service is the fullest, then for no reason it switches to second, back and forth (not related to seasons either).
Final rambling comment, I was raised by Grandparents and Parents that went to church hell or high water... snowstorm in northern Wisconsin? No problem, just set out hour before service and take it slow.
Maybe instead of "hell or high water" we should say by "Law or by Gospel" we will be there.
I just wish, by Law or by Gospel, I had more success in encouraging people to attend as faithfully as our forbearers. Of course my example means little, since I am the Pastor... I'm supposed to attend. ;)
Is the 10AM service your contemporary one? That might explain it. :)
ReplyDeleteI've always thought anyone who would get up for an 0800 service on ANY Sunday is much more likely to get up for an 0800 service every Sunday!
ReplyDeleteBTW, our second service (1030) is our "contemporary" service. However, this happened when some months ago the elders (not me, I'm past elder!) discontinued our second service at 0915 which was also the contemporary service, so as not to conflict with Sunday School, and went to 0800 and 1030 only Sunday mornings with 1030 being the contemporary one.
Numbers are up for the 1030 service, but numbers overall are way down! How about that?!?
They got some consultants in to figure out why -- tells you something right there -- and though I missed the report last Wednesday to be in my son's confirmation class, I'm told the report encouraged the elders to apologise for their decision, reinstate the 0915 service time, and make the 1030 even more contemporary by hiring a more with it music minister.
Great Caesar's Ghost. Not only that, while at orientation they said parental involvement was an integral part of confirmation class, when I got there I was one of exactly two parents who showed up!
LCMS is the worst synod in the world, except for all the others. Got that from Pastor Lehmann, and has it ever helped me!
Getting up early in the morning when you don't have to takes discipline. Regular church attendence takes discipline.
ReplyDeleteHere’s my two cents; if I get up early enough to go to our 8:30 service, then I’m going to go to church. I drive 26 miles every Sunday because I am fortunate enough to have a faithful pastor. What does it say to him and about him if I don’t show up to be fed God’s Word? If he is there, whether it be snowing or raining outside, then so am I.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought, but perhaps by ten the roads were flooded from the constant downpour that were still passable at 7ish. Mom sent pics of the driveway and practically the road being underwater that morning, and it's never flooded that bad in the 23 years they've lived there. Makes me glad I'm in Austin TX where we didn't even get any rain from Ike. Well maybe not glad, we needed the rain. sigh.....
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