A Singular Issue

There was a long stretch around the beginning of my retirement that I was deep into reading the adventures of Sherlock Homes as relayed by the good Doctor Watson. I will forever thank Colonel Dowell for sharing his collection of Watson’s notes. I have read every adventure at least three times, including the Hound of the Baskervilles. 

At least two things happened in each adventure. Someone had to sip brandy to revive their spirits, if not their life. The second is the “singularity” of each adventure. The adventure may have been singular, or the lovely damsel in distress was singular in her beauty. Every adventure may not contain the word, but it occurred enough for me to notice and remember it. In fact, from reading the “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” the word “singular” has been added to my working vocabulary.

When I went to seminary, several classes were required to establish the budding leaders with an understanding of the purpose of the “Church.” I learned a lot from those classes. But now, looking over my tenure as a church leader, what I was taught was not very inspiring. Even worse, it was insufficient to sustain me through the difficulties of managing all the moving parts of a local church body.

I want to be careful here because I do not want to be a doomsayer, rainmaker, or sour grape eater.

It is my opinion, established in my experience that the local church seems to be in trouble. That trouble is the diminishing influence that the “people of God” have in the community and nation. When half of the members of a local church do not show up regularly, something is lacking. And our culture is suffering.

I am not enjoying this pondering topic, so let me relay why I am involved in a local church. And that brings me back to the work, “singular.”

There is a singular reason for my involvement in my church; there are things about the person of God, Yahweh, the Creator, I will never come to know and experience if I do not join with other followers of Jesus Christ. I cannot go deeper into my relationship with God without connecting with His people.

Church attendance and involvement do not make my life better. The truth is that, in some ways, it makes my life more complicated. God Himself makes my life better. It is impossible to claim a high level of love and trust for God and not be the people He loves. It is not the quality of their spiritual life that moves me but the promise that He will be where his people gather, even if it is only two.

True, many, or most, of those seated around you in the church house may be spiritually dead and just going through the motions of religious rituals, but God does not stay away. The quality of the “gathering” does not determine the intensity of His presence. If I do not realize God’s presence, it is my issue, not theirs.

God is where He is. The attitude of the worshiper does not determine the level of His revelation. He promised!

¹³ You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes^[a] and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”   Jeremiah 29:13-14 Christian Standard Bible

Just one more thought! If your “church” is boring, it just may be that God is waiting to get your undivided attention. The quality of the spiritual lives sitting in the pews around you should not be your spiritual barometer. Nor the thoughts of the “preacher.” Furthermore, you don’t have a choice; if you want to go deeper into the person of God, you must be a part of the gatherings of His humans, not apart from them. Staying home is not a productive option for those who pursue God. You may meet Jesus while sitting in your deer stand. But if you look closely, he points you to a local gathering of his people.

Photo – Winter is coming. Taken at the pond behind our house a couple of winters ago.