Dear Elim Grace,

Sunday morning can be a time of great encouragement as the body of Christ. As the body, something special happens when we come together. There is strength and joy found. Spiritual comfort and health received. We are all individual members of the body, so staying connected is key to growing BIG in Christ. There’s an aspect of our growth in Christ that happens only in face-to-face fellowship with one another.

Sunday morning can be a time of deep transformation as the people of God. As the church, something special happens when we come together to worship and seek Jesus. In Him is abundant life. Loving power. Transforming glory. Satisfying beauty. Since we are a people for His treasured possession, there is a measure of His treasured presence that we can only “taste and see” when gathered together. There is an aspect of our growth in Christ that happens only in side-by-side worship with one another.

Among other important reasons, Sundays serve as a time to be refreshed and replenished in the presence of God and God’s people. We leave full. As Paul writes in each of his letters (in one form or another), grace comes to us that grace might go and be with us.

How many times has it occurred that come Friday or Saturday, we are far off from Sunday. What encouragement we had has seeped away. What power we encountered has lifted off. Sometimes even by Monday! Yet, feelings are feelings. Truth is truth. And the truth is God is for us, His grace is with us and His Spirit is in us. Always. So we must press on.

But we also must press in.

If we press on without pressing in, overtime we will lose strength. We will lose sight. We will lose direction. We will grow weary. We will give up.

The danger, Elim Grace, is that we feel the pressure to press on, but not the urgency to press in. We believe pressing on is more important and needed than pressing in. Unless we press in, though, we will not be able to press on. Our spiritual body will break down.

This is a pastoral encouragement and gentle admonishment to us all: remember, above all, to PRESS IN.

Yes, I’m saying Sundays are for pressing in. As the body of Christ. As the people of God.

Press in. I dare say, our longterm pressing on in Christ depends upon it.