Recently, I saw a young man who had been an avid member of my church, but I hadn’t seen him in years. Delighted, I called out to him and we chatted for a little while. During our conversation, the topic of his absence from church eventually came up. You see, he was such an active member of the youth group, so I was curious to know why he’d stopped attending.
In response, he said to me, “One Sunday, in church, I
realized that I was only coming to church because of tradition and family ties.
Although I grew up in church, as I got older, I was getting nothing from
church.”
Too many of us are just like this young man, we’ve grown up
in church but not in Christ so we get despondent; some walk away but there are
others who have stayed, still not recognizing that all they are doing is church…attending
not abiding.
We know all the hymns and worship songs by heart.
We’re in the choir and serve as stewards and Sunday School
teachers and worship leaders and we are respected elders and deacons and ministers,
in church but not in Christ.
Attending not abiding.
We speak Chritianese and we say “Jesus” at the right time with
way too much emphasis on that last “s”, we join the obligatory chorus of “Amen”
in feigned agreement with the pastor’s preaching, we quote the Word even if we
don’t understand it, we look the part on Sunday – attending – but it doesn’t
translate Monday to Saturday – not abiding.
We are well versed in church culture but have no real
knowledge of Christ’s character.
We know the preacher’s voice when he calls but not Christ’s
voice when He calls.
We go to conferences and camps and this meeting and that session,
coining catchy themes for them all; we join prayer groups and engage in Bible
Study and indulge in fasting week after week, but nothing, absolutely nothing comes
of it.
Attending not abiding.
We keep performing faith but performing faith is not
transforming faith. False faith collapses in fiery trials. True faith births
the impossible.
We teach people how to attend church and condemn them when
they don’t, but we never bother to call just to check in and check up on them
instead we leave them to walk away because we don’t really care do we.
No one taught us how to follow Jesus, so we sincerely cannot
teach others the lesson; we can’t pass it on, so we pass on it.
We seek His presents but not His presence.
We seek comfort but avoid commitment.
We seek renewal but run away from repentance, unwilling to
search within but always looking at others, quick to convict rather than hurriedly
convince.
We’re not willing to obey but yearning to obtain. Halfway
obedience is all the way disobedience.
We’re busy saving sermons that we don’t go back to, making
notes that we never review, highlighting bible verses for display not for delighting
in God.
Attending not abiding.
But it’s the unseen moments that truly matter…
It’s quiet acquiescence.
Reading your bible when no one is watching.
Praying when you have no words.
Obeying even though you don’t understand the plan.
Going into your prayer closet to commune with God, just you
and Him.
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| Notre Dame Cathedral Paris photo courtesy Erle Robinson |
Yes, we are fixated on attending the brick and mortar but not on abiding in the Alpha and Omega; setting our minds on things that are on earth and not on things that are above.
We have been busy building congregations but have not been busy making disciples; concentrating on filling the sanctuary but not the soul; pews of persons deeply religious but not deeply rooted.
Beloved, God is not looking for perfection, He’s not interested in performance, the theme for the month may be clever but that’s not what’s important to God. God wants relationship, He’s interested in your response to His invitation to abide.
Jesus is still calling for you to "Come, follow Me". He longs
for your presence, your companionship and your friendship.
Discipleship is not attending church, it is being attentive
to Christ; it’s fellowship, it’s fusion, it’s resting at His feet, it’s walking
in grace with Grace, it’s you abiding in Him as He is in you.
You're the well that never runs dry
I'm the branch and You are the vine
Draw me close and teach me to abide
(Abide by Aaron Williams/Aaron Keyes/Jake Fauber)
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “Attending
not Abiding“ ©2026 June 4, 2026
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