January 10, 2005

The Sunday Evening Remnant
by Pastor George Van Alstine

Last Sunday evening, Judy and I drove to the church, through pouring rain; for the 6:00 PM service. We wondered who would show up. We knew Noah was busy patching up the ark, with 33 days to go before the animals had to come on board. We thought the two of us might be the congregation.

When we drove into the parking lot, we found a car already there. In it Frances Dyer was waiting for the church to be opened. Frances is 81 years old, but she stays very active. She had already played the piano in her own church in the morning; now she was ready to do the same with us. The three of us went inside.

A few minutes later, Jean Bouchebel arrived. He travels all over the world as Director of Resource Development with World Vision International. A few days earlier he had arrived back from a trip to Egypt, where he had been networking between leaders in various denominational groups. After five days at home, he would depart for Spain for a meeting with regional World Vision leaders. When he is in the area, he is very faithful attending ABC’s Sunday evening service, as well as other church functions.

That was our congregation: an eighty-one year-old woman who walks with a cane, a missions executive who certainly had bigger concerns than this tiny fellowship, a pastor who was there as part of his employment, and his wife whose role also required her to be a faithful attender.

But Judy wasn’t there just out of her duty as a pastor’s wife. We had had a conversation an hour earlier in which I suggested she stay home because she’d been sick for a few days. Her response was that she needed to get out and do something; if she watched another inane television program, she’d explode. Since she retired in May, she’s thought a lot about the value of structure, schedule, pattern in life to keep from falling into a gloomy, lazy lifestyle. Going to the evening service was part of the pattern she needed.

The four of us discussed this at the beginning of the service. Frances felt good that in spite of the heavy rain, “I’ve kept all my commitments today.” Jean said that one reason he came was the possibility that he might be an encouragement to someone. He said, “I wasn’t sure Frances would be here, but just seeing her cheered me up.” He said that wherever he goes, all over the world, “I always find the fellowship place.”

All this time, I was thinking of the many people who had looked out the window Sunday morning, saw the rain, and went back to bed. They didn’t even make it to the morning worship, much less the evening service. The slightest inconvenience can keep them away. In contrast, Jean and Frances wouldn’t let anything stop them from coming.

As the four of us were talking about this, I realized we were in danger of feeling like Elijah, who concluded that he was the only faithful believer in a time of persecution (1 Kings 19:10,14). The Lord had to show him that over 7,000 Israelites had remained faithful. I remembered that some folk from our church were serving at the Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter preparing a meal for homeless people. They were certainly doing tougher duty than the four of us pew-sitters. And it also came to my mind that Pastor Connie was meeting with her regular Sunday evening TLC group of young adults. Another part of the church was gathered at that location. Like Elijah, I had to repent.

But I do want to emphasize the point Frances, Jean and Judy were making—that a life which is structured around a regular spiritual discipline of fellowship and worship with people of faith can withstand any storm that may come along, whether physical or spiritual. It takes discipline, but it’s worth it.

What’s that Noah? You’re missing an aardvark? What’s an ark without an aardvark?