Contrast in Attendance Patterns
by Harry Osborne

The two articles below present a great contrast between two distinct patterns of attendance. Each of us should ask ourselves, “Which one more closely resembles me?” We all should examine our habit to see if it honestly fits the demands of Hebrews 10:25. Do we really have the same “custom” or pattern in our worship of the Lord on the first day that Jesus had of worship on the Sabbath (Lk. 4:16)?

Sunday Sickness

This remarkable disease has not yet been treated in books of pathology.

1.  This disease is of the intermitting kind, attacking the patient by violent paroxysms, which return every seventh day.  These paroxysms return only on the Lord’s day, and hence it is called “Sunday sickness,” but by the faculty it is technically known by no other name than Dei Domini Morbus.

2.  It partakes somewhat of the nature of ague, especially as it is attended with a great degree of coldness.  This coldness is first apparent early in the morning of the Lord’s day, and in many cases seizing the patient before he has left his bed.  But it begins in the region of the heart, and it is attended with dullness of the head, followed by yawning and lethargy.

3.  The patient is sometimes deprived of the use of his limbs, especially the legs and feet, so that he is indisposed to walk to the house of God.

4.  In some cases this attack has come upon them after they have gone to the house of God and has been attended with yawning and slumber.

5.  In other cases there has been uneasiness in the house of God, and a disposition to complain of the length of the sermon, though they have been known to sit very contentedly in a play-house several hours at a time, or stand on the street in the cold several hours to listen to a political harangue.

6.  Persons affected with this disease never mourn on account of the confinement from public worship.

7.  These persons often surprise their neighbors with great activity and health the day following, however unfavorable the weather may be.

8.  Most of the faculty agree that there is a low, feverish heart, technically called febris mundi or fever of the world, which may be detected in these patients during the intervening days of the week.

9.  There also seems to be a loss of appetite for savory food, and a want of relish for Panis Vitor — bread of life — which in this case is the indispensable remedy for this disease.

10. Persons affected with this disease generally have a dis-relish for private religious exercises of the closet, and reading of the Scriptures.
11. It is also contagious — neighbors take it from neighbors and children from parents.

--- from Free Press (October 8, 1878) ---

It is interesting that our technology is vastly different than it was in 1878, but people have not changed. There were those in that time that did not really desire to worship God and they showed it by feigning illness to miss worship services and many do the same thing today. Though miracles of instantaneous healing have ceased, one might believe such action still takes place every Monday and Thursday — at least, if they believed the stories of the “ill” who have revived to attend parties, shop at the mall and live a normal life just hours after the final “amen” from the latest worship service. Contrast that kind of “custom” with the one discussed below:

He Missed One Service

Some time ago, Paul Harvey reported on his noon news of a 73 year old man who was pinned beneath his farm tractor for four days and nights in driving rain and a terrible storm. Concerned friends went to see about him just in time. It seems that he is going to live after his ordeal, but he will lose a leg below the knee.

Several newspapers have picked up on this little story and have centered upon the amazing fact that a 73 year old man could live after being pinned beneath a tractor for four days. Yes, all of that is amazing, but a more amazing fact is what caused his friends to go to see about him. One friend gave as the reason for this visit that "He missed prayer meeting Wednesday night." That’s all? He just missed one service and his friends went to check on him.

As one preacher remarked, "I believe there are two possible suppositions we can make about this incident.

"On the one hand we could suppose that this man was so faithful and regular in his church attendance that everyone knew if he was not there, something had to be seriously wrong. A question: What if you had been the one pinned under the tractor? Would your absence have been noticed? Or, are you so irregular in attendance that everyone would assume you decided to sleep in, or go to he lake? How many services have you missed in the last three months? Could you honestly classify yourself as a faithful, regular worshiper?

"On the other hand, we could assume that the people in this man’s congregation have such a concern for the souls of men that when anyone, no matter how regular or irregular, missed a service they went to see about them."

I don’t know which of the preacher’s assumptions might be the more plausible, but I would like to see more men and/or more congregations like what he was describing.

Christians need to read Hebrews 10:22-25 daily. No Christian can draw near unto God, hold fast the confession of his hope, or consider his brethren to provoke them unto love and good works who forsakes the assembling of the brethren together.

I have observed some church members that pick and choose which services to attend according to their mood or by what TV program is showing. These folks are here-again-gone-again and hit-and-miss at the services.

Weak brethren seem to think, "Well, so what if I’m just at services just every now and then? If that’s the worst sin I ever commit, I’ll make it to heaven." But are you sure of that? My Bible says that all sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). We can lose our souls over just one sin not repented of (Acts 8:13-24).

How many times does a person have to miss to be wrong? The first time is a sin as much as the fourth time or the fortieth time if it is willful absence.

Jesus said, "I know thy works, that thou are neither cold not hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou are lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).

Are you cold? Just exactly how faithful are you? Would you be missed if you missed just one service?

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