Music Director: Regina Oettinger
Email: regina@montananazarene.org
Praise Team Schedule Special Music Schedule
April -- Jacob Williams, Melita Dubach, Lois Bell
Apr. 18 -- Roger Ellis
Apr. 25 -- Pete Boyer
May -- David Grimes, Cindy Crofford, Michelle Williams May 2 -- David Grimes
May 9 -- Regina Oettinger
May 16 -- Ann Downing
May 23 -- Ralph Schulz
May 30 -- Pastor, Cindy, Regina
June -- Ralph Schulz, Amanda Armstrong, Melita Dubach June 6 -- Melita Dubach
Announcements and Upcoming Events
Band Practice: every Sunday morning at 8:45
Praise Team Practice: every Sunday morning at 9:00
Wednesday night series, starting April 28
Open to everyone!
Open to everyone!
Weekly Word on Worship
A Gallup poll that has been monitoring church attendance in America for the past 70 years found that we are currently experiencing an all-time low. Less than 47% of Americans identify with any religious affiliation. This isn’t counting the “Chreasters” who attend a few times a year. As a result, Gallup says that thousands of churches are closing every year.
Today I want to tackle an excuse that you’ve most likely heard before as to why people don’t attend church. “I can worship God just as easily at home or in nature, so I don’t need to attend church.” Or some variation of that. My first response would be so how is your worship at home going? Are you reading your Bible daily? Are you talking to God? Are you listening to God? Because most likely people who offer this excuse are not. If they were reading their Bibles, they would find commands all through Scripture to worship with other believers. If they were listening to God, they would hear His voice telling them where He wants them.
Let’s look at some other reasons why church attendance is mandatory to the child of God. The most obvious reason is that God commands it. We’re all familiar with Hebrews 10:24-25, but what about Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. These verses indicate that the reason we are to worship together is so that we encourage one another and remind each other of Biblical truths. When you look at the early church in Acts, I can’t help but think that if they had all gone their separate ways and minded their own business, many of them would not have died for their faith. However, they did the exact opposite. They continued to meet together even under the threat of losing their lives (much like believers do in other parts of the world even today) because Jesus wanted them to build each other up and share in each other’s struggles.
In our current “selfie” generation it’s no surprise that we are a very self-absorbed society. Being part of a body of believers helps us become more outward-focused. Acts 2:44-47 gives us a very clear picture of what a godly community looks like when they serve others.
1 Peter 2:9 says that another reason we come together is to proclaim the praises of God. When someone says they don’t need church, I think to myself, “They’re not going to like heaven very much.” Revelation 5:11-13 indicates that heaven is going to have the largest corporate worship service any of us have ever seen! And we get to be part of it! Why not be preparing for it down here? People of all languages, sizes, ethnicities, ages, economic backgrounds coming together in unity--how does that happen? Only through the uniting power of Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 says, “Now may the God Who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When the world sees unity like that in the church, they are witnessing a miracle that only God can do. And it gives them a little foreshadowing of what heaven will be like. (see Psalm 133)
Unfortunately many would argue that that is not what they see when they look at the church. They see arguments, divisive behavior, constant judgement, etc. This is one reason we will be talking a lot about unity in the church and how it pertains to worship in the coming weeks. For now, I want to share a quote by author and musician, Carolyn Arends: “The triune God has always been into community. And community, I am forced to admit, ultimately requires meeting together with flesh and blood folks I cannot ‘block’ or ‘unfriend’ should they become annoying. It means getting close enough to hug and to arm wrestle, to build (and sometimes hold) each other up, even as we risk letting each other down.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way. “If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian community in which we have been placed, even when there are no great experiences, no noticeable riches, but much weakness, difficulty, and little faith -- and if, on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so miserable and so insignificant and does not live up to our expectations -- then we hinder God from letting our community grow according to the measure and riches that are there for us all in Jesus Christ.” Ouch. God, help us!
A Gallup poll that has been monitoring church attendance in America for the past 70 years found that we are currently experiencing an all-time low. Less than 47% of Americans identify with any religious affiliation. This isn’t counting the “Chreasters” who attend a few times a year. As a result, Gallup says that thousands of churches are closing every year.
Today I want to tackle an excuse that you’ve most likely heard before as to why people don’t attend church. “I can worship God just as easily at home or in nature, so I don’t need to attend church.” Or some variation of that. My first response would be so how is your worship at home going? Are you reading your Bible daily? Are you talking to God? Are you listening to God? Because most likely people who offer this excuse are not. If they were reading their Bibles, they would find commands all through Scripture to worship with other believers. If they were listening to God, they would hear His voice telling them where He wants them.
Let’s look at some other reasons why church attendance is mandatory to the child of God. The most obvious reason is that God commands it. We’re all familiar with Hebrews 10:24-25, but what about Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. These verses indicate that the reason we are to worship together is so that we encourage one another and remind each other of Biblical truths. When you look at the early church in Acts, I can’t help but think that if they had all gone their separate ways and minded their own business, many of them would not have died for their faith. However, they did the exact opposite. They continued to meet together even under the threat of losing their lives (much like believers do in other parts of the world even today) because Jesus wanted them to build each other up and share in each other’s struggles.
In our current “selfie” generation it’s no surprise that we are a very self-absorbed society. Being part of a body of believers helps us become more outward-focused. Acts 2:44-47 gives us a very clear picture of what a godly community looks like when they serve others.
1 Peter 2:9 says that another reason we come together is to proclaim the praises of God. When someone says they don’t need church, I think to myself, “They’re not going to like heaven very much.” Revelation 5:11-13 indicates that heaven is going to have the largest corporate worship service any of us have ever seen! And we get to be part of it! Why not be preparing for it down here? People of all languages, sizes, ethnicities, ages, economic backgrounds coming together in unity--how does that happen? Only through the uniting power of Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 says, “Now may the God Who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When the world sees unity like that in the church, they are witnessing a miracle that only God can do. And it gives them a little foreshadowing of what heaven will be like. (see Psalm 133)
Unfortunately many would argue that that is not what they see when they look at the church. They see arguments, divisive behavior, constant judgement, etc. This is one reason we will be talking a lot about unity in the church and how it pertains to worship in the coming weeks. For now, I want to share a quote by author and musician, Carolyn Arends: “The triune God has always been into community. And community, I am forced to admit, ultimately requires meeting together with flesh and blood folks I cannot ‘block’ or ‘unfriend’ should they become annoying. It means getting close enough to hug and to arm wrestle, to build (and sometimes hold) each other up, even as we risk letting each other down.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way. “If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian community in which we have been placed, even when there are no great experiences, no noticeable riches, but much weakness, difficulty, and little faith -- and if, on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so miserable and so insignificant and does not live up to our expectations -- then we hinder God from letting our community grow according to the measure and riches that are there for us all in Jesus Christ.” Ouch. God, help us!
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