From the Editor: God takes a snow day

Jim Nelson

Something very unusual happened on Sunday, January 21, 2008. Something I have never personally witnessed before. God took a snow day. Unbelievable! God took a Sunday off, and was not available for worship in many churches across North Georgia. I have never experienced showing up at church on Sunday morning only to encounter a “CLOSED” sign on the door.
Sure some will say it was a safety issue. The roads may have been treacherous, and we would not want our people on them. But that should be the individual’s decision. Many of us did not have the opportunity to exercise our freewill and decide for ourselves. Besides, as it turned out God made sure most roads were passable. Plus, what about those who did not get the word and showed up only to find the church closed, they then had to drive back home for nothing.When I was serving two churches in Northern Nevada, one Saturday night it snowed over a foot and was still snowing Sunday morning. After the first service at the church in the town where I lived, I drove the 12 miles to my other church. The wind was blowing snow across the highway making it difficult to see. When I arrived I literally had to leave my car two blocks away, and trudge through the snow to the church. I was late, but upon entering I found everyone else already there, waiting. It had never crossed anyone’s mind that I might not be there, or that God would take the day off.

I have, as I am sure many pastors have, held services in the cold of winter when the furnace quit, in the heat of summer with no air conditioning, by candle light because power lines were down, when it rained and flooded the streets in Savannah, and in various other conditions that would have caused secular businesses to close. But we are the church. We serve God. God doesn’t ask us to worship just when it is convenient. Many a pastor has given a sermon on the excuses people give for missing church. Either worship is mandated by God or it’s not. And what about all those dedicated people who say their week doesn’t work right if they miss church on Sunday? Were they all condemned to a terrible week? Do those who pride themselves with years of perfect attendance at Sunday School, now have to have the dreaded asterisk beside their name because they actually only attended 51 weeks this year?Did every church that closed, or canceled an early service call everyone who might show up and inform them? Not everyone watches television all the time. I should have, but didn’t think of it in time, gone to the church, gathered all the others who didn’t get the word on the church lawn, sang some hymns everyone would know, given a prayer, read scripture, given a brief homily, and dismissed everyone with a blessing. I have done colder Easter sunrise services.

I do not mean to imply that I am some kind of saint. But when a priest was ordained in Exodus a rosette of pure gold was attached to the turban of the priest engraved with the words, “Holy to the Lord” and placed on his head. We are called to serve the Lord our God, which often means coming out of our comfort zone of safety. The point of worship is to help people make the God connection. How can those who are lost and hurting in the world, who are moved by the Holy Spirit to finally attend church, helped to make the God connection when church is CLOSED? And those who made a New Year’s resolution to attend church every Sunday had their streak broken at two.A couple of issues ago I wrote about “Sitting on the other side of the altar rail.” But no matter how frustrated I get, I would never miss church. It is a commitment I made to God a long time ago. Either church is important, or it’s not. Either we live the Word, or we don’t. Either we truly believe or we don’t. Church is NOT optional. God does not take a snow day.