2. Happy 4th of July

Hopefully, you're not one of those people who get their knickers in a knot when church services are canceled on a Sunday night. If you're Lutheran or Methodist, this probably doesn't bother you, because your denominations normally don't have evening services. But we Baptists, especially the "Southern" variety, like our Sunday evening activities. And that's fine. I was raised preferring to sleep in on Sunday morning, going out to eat a late breakfast, and then going to the evening service because it was a smaller crowd with more "teaching" than "preaching."

But what gripes me is those who insist that if the 10% of the AM crowd who normally returns for PM activities doesn't meet then all of Christendom will come to a halt and names will be erased willy nilly from the Lamb's Book of Life. The unchurched will drive by our darkened building and empty parking lot, cluck their tongues, shake their heads then wonder about those so-called Christians at the so-and-so Baptist church. "What will they think?" I'll tell you what they'll think: THEY DON'T CARE! If they're not at home watching TV or at the ball field on Sunday night, I don't think they're driving by local Baptist congregations and seeing if they are meeting. I really don't think they give a flip about Baptist meeting habits.

And what REALLY gets me is that a lot of these complainers about no Sunday evening services don't come when there's a children musical on Sunday night. Or if someone "who's not interesting" is teaching that evening. Or the grandkids are in town. Or whatever . . .

And when we cancel PM services on Super Bowl Sunday so that families can be together and adult Bible study classes can have a fellowship and invite their neighbors to watch the big game, it would seem better in some minds if we were offering blood sacrifices on the altar . . . at least that would be biblical! How could we dare do something so "worldly?" Why, what would the writer of Hebrews think, when he penned chapter 10, verse 25 when he challenged Christians to not forsake assembling together? I heard Josh Hunt once say that the Bible says to not forsake assembling together, but it does not say you have to go to church three times a week.

If you feel that Sunday night church is a must, then God bless you. But please don't criticize me for wanting to spend an occasional Sunday evening with my family.

Counting the days until Labor Day weekend and another Sunday night off!