I noticed today.

I noticed the pew you usually sit on.

I noticed today that it was empty.

I noticed.

I couldn’t help myself but look. I was so excited to see you…I asked around. Maybe you were sick, maybe you were on vacation, maybe you had to work…

I waited.

I hoped.

But…the pew stayed emptied.

The service began at its normal time.

You know the drill: welcome & announcements, the choir sang, congregational singing began – all pointing us in worship and praise to God. It was glorious, but I was distracted.

I had to look one more time.

• Maybe I missed you.
• Maybe you slid in the back.
• Maybe you were running late – hey, that happens to all of us.

I scanned the crowd.

Your presence was simply, gone.

I had to try; I had to stop my mind… “Refocus” I told myself. “Lord” I asked, “please help me! My heart is grieving.”

Your absence left an emptiness inside me.

• You see, my friend, you are not alone.
• Matter of fact, I am not alone.
• We are never alone.
• We influence.
• We impact one another – for the good or for the bad.

Now before we go on, I must be clear, my refocusing was my problem that I needed to take before the Lord. But there is something that you need to know — when you are not here, I notice. Others notice. And I will tell you why.

• You may not think you impact.
• You may think your presence is insufficient.
• You may think no one cares.

Think what you will, but let’s clarify what you really are to your local body of Christ, your church – VITAL!*

YOU ARE A VITAL PART within these four walls we call church.

• It doesn’t stop there – collectively as we minister together outside these four walls.
• Oh, but wait there is more…your walk in Christ is not a ‘Sunday thing’. Your life is to be used VITALLY for Christ 24/7.

You see, we can’t as a body of Christ, when you don’t.

• You are our Sister-in-Christ.
• You are our Brother-in-Christ.
• Together we are Christ’s body – jointly knitted together by God Himself.

When one doesn’t fulfill their part, the body cannot fulfill its God-mission as a whole. That makes you VITAL!

I noticed!

• I longed for your presence.
• I longed to worship and serve God alongside my Sister-in-Christ.
• I longed to worship and serve God alongside my Brother-in-Christ.
• I longed to grow and repent alongside you.

But that didn’t happen. Only you know why…

So…

• The next time you decide your presence won’t be noticed…
• The next time you think your worship or service to God will not be missed…
• The next time you think God will not observe that you played church—hooky and did something else instead of worship Him…

Be assured, noticed will happen.

Not from judgmental or criticism spirits, but rather from spirits of love.

• Because God is in love with you! God adores you!
• Because I love you!
• Because your church loves you!
• Because the God-gifts you bring are just that…yours.
• Only you can use them or fulfill them. No one can fill your shoes. No one wants to fill your shoes. Your shoes are yours and that’s how God designed it! So, don’t play church—hooky! Go fulfill.

1 Corinthians 12:12-28a

¹² For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the many parts of that one body are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are slaves or free, and we have all been made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ The body is not one part, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has established the parts, every one of them, in the body as it has pleased Him. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ So there are many parts, yet one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² No, those parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those parts of the body which we think are less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our less respectable parts are treated with much more respect, ²⁴ whereas our more respectable parts have no need of this. But God has composed the body, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that the parts should have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and members individually. ²⁸ God has put these in the church:

In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}

*Yes, I hear it already, “But Colleen, you don’t know my church story.”

My friend, I could write a book on churches–from both sides of the fence. I have spoken to numerous women who have quoted the same statement.

May I ask you a question?

Does that give us any excuse to disobey GOD’S Word?

• The answer, my friend, is No!

We cannot stand before God one day and say, “Well God, I didn’t obey you because of those church people over on 2nd Street. You know what they said and did.” It won’t work.

The question is now what?

• Are we going to obey God, trust Him and biblically apply His Word to our lives helping us to rid through “the stuff” or not?
• Or will we continue to allow our flesh to fester?