Weeding

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

I accomplished what has seemed to be impossible this past Sunday--getting the weeding done. We have a few new flowerbeds, so when I get behind on the weeding it seems like the crabgrass may have just taken over.

Suffice it to say I had a lot of time to think.

I found myself thinking that I had better not take this long to weed again. It took so long...I had housecleaning and laundry to do...I'd rather be playing with the kids...  It would have been easier just to let the weeds overtake everything and call it a day.

Since I was still weeding...and still thinking...I was remembering a voter's meeting we had at church last summer. Our congregational president had mentioned the decline in attendance in services during the summer. I'd seen it too, the empty seats in the congregation every Sunday. I don't blame people--how hard is it to get up on a Sunday morning, when you've been up late the night before, enjoying the summer?

Enter the weeds in our lives.

Attending worship is SO important. It's the chance to come together with other believers, to hear the word of God, to speak our faith and partake in the Lord's body and blood together. My husband is fond of telling about men who say, "I can worship the Lord just as well in my boat while I'm fishing." And Dan says, "Yes, but can the fish give you communion?"

One of the most vital parts of worship comes at the very beginning--confession and absolution. The weed pulling, per se. Where we come before God and confess to him, and beg for His forgiveness.

"I, a poor and miserable sinner, confess to Thee all my sins and iniquities, with which I have ever offended Thee and justly deserved all your punishment now and forever. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray you of your boundless mercy for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being."

Without attending worship, without confessing our sins, those weeds grow. They grow and grow until they take over our lives. The weeds creep into our minds when the alarm goes off Sunday morning: "So what? What's the problem if I miss this Sunday? Doesn't God want us to rest?"

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

We don't want to let the weeds grow over and call it a day. Don't forget to be in worship, to pull those weeds.