FROM THE PASTOR
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”   Psalm 122:1 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.   Hebrews 10:24-25

 “I don’t need to come to church to worship.  I worship God by myself on the golf course, on a walk, in a deer stand…”  I’ve heard it before, and maybe you have, too.  Are the ones saying it right?
Partly.  We can indeed worship God outdoors in the beauty of his creation.  God created all that is to remind us of his awesome power and divine nature, so it makes perfect sense that worshipful moments are happening when we’re outdoors. And, there are times when we are refreshed by time alone and time alone with God.  Even Jesus knew the necessity of slipping away to spend time with his Father.
So why gather together?  There are many reasons, but I’ll offer two. First, God tells us to do it, and his plan is always better than our plan. Gathering together is an act of trust in the Lord.  And second, gathering together for worship is the regular reminder that he is God and we are not.  As a human being, I know my default setting is selfishness, so I am always drifting toward the notion that if I’m not the center of the universe, I am certainly the most important person in it.  I am prone to look at life through the lens of selfishness.  But, when I gather with the church to worship the Lord, I am brought back to the reality that there is a God in heaven, other people are at least as important as me, and my selfishness is a sin that needs to be confessed.  It is like hitting the reset button, and I find I need that correction regularly!  
Worship in community: obedience to God and the remedy for my heart turned in on itself. See you Sunday!

Pastor Daniel