The Best Day of the Week
“The best day of the week!” That is a phrase my kids have heard their entire lives. Almost every Sunday morning, they would be woken up with those words. “Best day of the week guys!” “The day when we get to enter into God’s Presence, hear His Word, receive His grace and forgiveness. Doesn’t get any better than that!” “Best day of the week!”. And I meant it. What better way to start off a week than in God’s Real Presence receiving His grace and gifts to equip yourself for a week of struggle and challenges?
Long ago, when we just had a couple of toddlers, I knew that I always wanted to cultivate a healthy appetite for the Word of God in my children, and especially that they would always desire to come to Church and be fed by God’s grace through His Word and Sacraments. I also knew that my children had inherited a sinful flesh from me – a sinful nature that despises the Word of God and would love nothing more than to avoid such exposures and time in the Word. I knew that there would be times that a kid would rather sleep in and/or think he had better things to do than go to church.
“I don’t want to go.” “I’m tired.” I don’t feel like it.” My answer: “Ah yes. There are days when I don’t feel like going as well…but those are the times when I need to go the most!”
If you have young children or grandchildren, and you are starting to see a trend of less than enthusiastic desire to come to Sunday school and/or church, one of the best methods I know to combat this is to start early in the week and keep mentioning how much you are looking forward to being in Church. How much you are needing to be where God has promised you He comes and feeds you with what you need most: forgiveness , grace and the strength needed to get through the trials of another week in this fallen world. Keep talking about how much you are looking forward to being where God will come to you and assure you of His Love. And by the way, I have found that this is a pretty effective reminder for ourselves, an encouragement we often need as well. It actually helps to keep us focused and looking forward to being gathered with the people of God and receiving what we need most from the mouth and hand of God!
And that is important, for each one of us do have the same critical need of God’s grace and forgiveness. We all sin daily and frequently. We all face attacks from the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh. Indeed, we each have an Old Adam that would love to keep us away from where God has promised us He comes and gives us His greatest gifts.
Maybe you don’t have any children or grandchildren, but you have a New Person in Christ created within you at your baptism and needs to be fed God’s grace. Perhaps you have been hearing “I don’t want to go,” “I’m tired,” I don’t feel like it,” from your own lips or heart. I would say: “Ah yes. There are days when I don’t feel like going as well…but those are the times when I need to go the most!”
Children of God, start telling yourself and/or your kids early in the week how much you are looking forward to Sunday, for truly it is the best day of the week – the day when you get to receive what God has promised to give you, right where He has promised to give it – what you need most – His grace, mercy, forgiveness and strength. See ya this Sunday, and every Sunday, truly the Best Day of the Week!
Pastor
