Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
As you may know, I am a member of HealthPoint, one of the excellent fitness centers in our area. Many years ago, I learned that regular exercise is essential to good mental and physical health. I also have fun exercising. By giving exercise a high priority, I usually visit the gym 5 days a week for an hour at a time. I do this year round, except for travel and vacations. Even when I am away from the gym, I try to exercise, at the very least by walking. Exercising is simple part of my routine of living, like taking a shower, or brushing teeth.
If you attend a gym regularly, you quickly notice an annual cycle in gym attendance. The biggest peak in attendance comes in January and February. The parking lots are full and the fitness classes are crowded. Every piece of fitness equipment is in use during peak hours. The winter peak in gym attendance is obviously related to the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. This attendance peak gradually fades as the resolutions are forgotten. Finally, only the “regulars” remain. Another smaller peak occurs in the spring, as folks get ready for “swimsuit weather.” During the summer and fall, the gyms are again turned over to the “regulars.”
Churches also experience attendance peaks, the most common being Easter and Christmas. We try hard to make those major church holidays “special” by leading up to them with Lent and Advent, respectively. Our practice of having communion on the first Sunday of each month is also designed to make that a “special” Sunday and hopefully increase attendance, at least on that Sunday. Unfortunately, we do not seem to receive much of an increase in attendance with the coming of the New Year.
New Years Day is a special day where many resolve to make the New Year better than last year. According to surveys, 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. Here is a list of the top ten resolutions.
- Lose Weight
- Getting Organized
- Spend Less, Save More
- Enjoy Life to the Fullest
- Staying Fit and Healthy
- Learn Something Exciting
- Quit Smoking
- Help Others in Their Dreams
- Fall in Love
- Spend More Time with Family
As you can see “going to church more” is not a popular New Year’s resolution. However, it could be argued that going to church might help you keep your other resolutions. Help is needed because only 8% of those surveyed report being successful in achieving their resolution.
I would ask you to consider making a church-focused New Year’s resolution this year. I believe that a living relationship with Christ is reflected in a growing involvement in a church community. Sunday attendance is an essential part of the Christian life. All of us should attend a church every Sunday unless we are physically unable due to illness or other limitations. If you already attend church regularly, consider expanding your giving, praying, and Bible studying. If you feel called to a certain kind of ministry or mission that seems to be missing in our church community, let’s add it to our church or affiliate with another church or Christian organization. Christ is the center of our lives and he has commanded us to love one another in his Body, the Church. Let 2013 be a year in which you grow closer to him by getting closer to those he died for—your brothers and sisters in Christ.
God Bless, Pastor Dan
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
