Tailgating for Church?

Thursday-Saturday:
An RV pulls into a stadium parking lot two days before a football game packed with family, lots of food, and a big screen tv. Everyone gathers together and grills out the night before the big game (even in the rain). On the day of the game, it is pouring down rain, but everyone puts on their rain gear and heads into the stadium two hours early.

Sunday:
The rain is coming down outside and we grumble that we are tired from the game, it is raining, and we are just too tired to go to church. We lay in bed for a few minutes, turn off the alarm, and fall back asleep saying we will go to church next week even though there is another home football game.

How often do we play all week, hang with our friends, stay out and up late, get up early to head out for a fun filled Saturday but when Sunday comes we are too tired and we skip church? Why are we not packing up the RV on Saturday night and heading to the church parking lot to grill out with friends the night before church? Why do we spend time gearing up for a football game but we don’t spend time gearing up for church by sharing our testimonies and singing His praises while hanging out in the church parking lot (even in the rain). Why do we get to a football game two hours early even in the rain but we don’t put on the same rain gear for church and we don’t get to church two hours early to begin “cheering” (aka: worshipping) our Heavenly Father?

We prepare for a football game but do we prepare for eternity? Which one are you ready for…the upcoming football season or an eternity spent with our Heavenly Father?

(this blog was inspired by a radio show I heard this morning that was talking about this very topic.)