October is here and this October the hometown baseball team, St. Louis Cardinals are not in the playoffs. I knew it was bad when their practice bat swings looked like a golf swing before they went to bat in their last few games. Oh well, maybe next year. Speaking of being disappointed I need to share with you something Maria and I have done, that we never had done before in 45 years of marriage.
In the years we have been together we have almost always had a dog. I love dogs, and Maria loves me, so we have had wonderful puppies in our family! The latest dog we had was an American bulldog named Hobbes. He is a great dog but after two years I could tell that he was content with us, but not really happy. He longed for a farm with other animals and especially other dogs. We began to pray and through the breeder we got him from we were led to a family with a farm who lives in Arizonia. They flew to St. Louis to meet Hobbes. I told them if Hobbes does not like them, I don’t care how far they have come or how much they spent to get here, he would not be going home with them. But as it turned out Hobbes loved them and of course they loved him. After a couple days with us and Hobbes, they left with him wagging his tail all the way to Arizona in a jeep they had rented. I began to cry and I think Maria began to do the happy dance. I still miss him yet today and Maria she is still doing the happy dance. After a few months I visited an animal shelter just to pet a few dogs, but they would not let me in without filling out and adoption form. So, I began to just for fun look for English Bulldog breeders. I began to watch little short videos of bulldog puppies playing and as much enjoyment as it was, it did not take the place of holding one in my arms and loving one as my own. As I have found out, a video of a bulldog does not replace the feeling I get of owning one.
So, it is today with people who are trying to replace the local church with a video chat, or watching a service online. These things are not bad, but they are not the local church. Just as watching dogs play online can never replace the feeling of owning and holding one in your arms. Make no mistake, watching church online is not being obedient to God’s warning us, “Not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some …” Hebrews 10:25. I encourage you today if you or if you know someone who does not have a local church, invite them to one of our services, or help them connect to a church near them. As king David said, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of our Lord.”
See you at His House, Pastor Rick