The Real First Day of the Week

One of the oddities of being a preacher is that no matter how the rest of the world numbers the days of the week, Monday is always the beginning of the week. While Sunday may be called the first day of the week by most, for us preacher-types, everything we do builds towards that day and concludes on that day, so it's always the end of the week. I love Sundays. I love being with my church family, building our love for each other, encouraging each other to grow, and just basking in the glow of praising our Father and our Savior together. I dearly love seeing people change, grow, transform, or just plain "get it," and see their relationship with God deepen - to see Jesus become real to them. That is what spiritual leadership is all about. You can't post it on an attendance board, print it in the bulletin, or quantify it for worldly success, but you can rejoice in knowing that you've made a difference. A lot is said and written about the church and it's purpose. Hey - I've said and written a lot about the church and it's purpose, and it disturbs me greatly that so many of us have completely missed why God gave it to us and what He intended it to be. Still, another "Bottom Line" principle that should be obvious to everyone is - church (i.e. church family) was intended by God to give us a glimpse of heaven. If that picture is not appealing, then it's because we've done something wrong with what He gave us, or we're just looking at it incorrectly. If you are still defined by a worship style, a doctrine, or anything other than love - an eternity of doing what you do with church probably scares the Heaven out of you.
I am so thankful for our church family. There is a spirit of love there that does transcend differences, cultural baggage, and even some doctrinal disagreements. So, as I relax on MY first day of the week, MY Sabbath day's rest, I am thankful for the past week and excited about the next, and if I don't live to see another Sunday together, it's okay because we'll have timeless togetherness in heaven.