SUNDAY THOUGHT -17

WORSHIPPING GOD IN THE MIDST OF PERSECUTION
Text: 2Thessalonians 1:3-12

Persecutions should not be a surprising thing for the church. It started when the church started. And it will continue as long as the church continues in the world. Sometimes it is mild. At other times it becomes severe giving the church botheration. But it is a reality. Waiting for persecution to stop permanently to do our Christian service is therefore stupidity. The worship of the church and other ministries has to continue amidst persecutions.

Recently, in some parts of our country, the people of God are threatened to the extent that some had to refrain from gathering on Sunday for worship. This is indeed alarming. For the children of God, any day and every day is a day of worship. But since the church gathers together for collective worship on Sunday, being the day of resurrection, it has significance. And it is at this occasion of the church's worship, most Christians commemorate the Lord's Table.

But what if our freedom of worship is affected by an anti-Christian act? How will we continue worshipping God? Is it a violation if on a Sunday the church did not (or could not) gather for worshipping God?

Christians coming together to worship on Sundays is a practice than an instruction in the New Testament. The N.T. does not command believers to meet together on Sunday being the day of resurrection. From the beginning of the church, the N.T. believers –mostly Jews- shifted the day of gathering for worship and fellowship from the seventh day (Sabbath) to the first day of the week(the resurrection day). This became the notable feature that distinguished Judaism from Christianity. And this practice is what the Christian church follows for the last twenty centuries. Whichever part of the world Christianity reached with significant influence, Sunday was separated for the worship and related ministries of the church. And no genuine reason can any one cite (or need to) for a change of the day for collective worship. So wherever possible and as long as we can the church must continue to gather on Sunday.

But due to any reason if our freedom for this is affected, we do not need to be panicking as if we will then go against the Scripture. It should be regarded more an emotional issue than a violation of any biblical instruction, since no instruction regarding the day of worship is given in the New Testament. Those who worship the father will worship Him in truth and in Spirit. Not in this place or that place or this day or that day! In this regard, we, the people of the church are unlike the people of Israel of the O.T. They had stipulated days and dates for religious activities and they needed to follow them without fail. Any failure would be considered as violation of divine instructions. But we do not have this problem today. If we are not able to gather together on a Sunday due to a genuine reason we do not go against the Scripture.

But does this mean then that any local church can decide to come together for worship any day? It should not be so. Though the practice of church gathering on the first day of the week is not the result of any divine instruction, it is a harmless, safe and an acceptable practice. As long as possible we may continue that practice instead of giving way to anarchy in the name of freedom or liberalism. But if a genuine threat from the anti-Christian elements force us to shift the day of worship of the church from Sunday to any other day it may be taken without guilt. If we are not willing for this even in the wake of threats and persecutions, it then means that we choose to suffer for it, which would not be spoken against.

The believers in Jesus Christ ought to worship God even in the midst of persecutions. The apostles, when threatened with consequences for preaching in the name of Jesus including other religious functions, they defied it and chose sufferings. Christians, in places where Christianity is regarded as against the Law, face persecutions for their faith in Christ and for attempting to worship God, willingly choosing suffering. Worship, personal and collective should be done even amidst persecutions.

As we prepare to worship God this week, let us who enjoy freedom (both physical and spiritual), thank God for it. May we remember our brothers and sisters who are not able to gather together for worship due to persecutions. Let us worship God who will grant us ultimate triumph against all threats and persecutions (2Thess. 1:6-7).


Yours in The gloriuos ministry of God
Joji George Abraham