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Have you had a test to see if you suffer from Sunday Morning Myopia?

If you haven't...don't worry!  You can be tested today!  Just ask yourself these simple questions:

1.  When you attended church this past Sunday, did you notice anyone there that you knew was new to the church?

2.  Did you notice someone in the church body who might have been acting differently than normal?

3.  When the service was over, did you rush out into the foyer to get the kids and make sure you were first to the buffet restaurant down the street or did you look around to see if someone was in crying, in prayer to the Lord and just waiting for someone to come beside them with an encouraging word and prayer?

No?  Then you might be suffering from Sunday Morning Myopia.  See your pastor now!

OK...enough of the drug commercial parody.  The "illness", however, isn't a parody.

I've attended many churches over the years and the second the service ends it's like the running of the bulls toward the exits.  Very often the members don't stop to actually spend time in fellowship with their fellow church members because they have to get out for lunch or for various other things that they have planned for their day.  In and of themselves, there is nothing wrong with that. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to plan to go to dinner with your family after church but sometimes we get so wrapped up in those "post-worship" events we can miss opportunities that God places in front of us to minister to others.

Sometimes the simple verses are the most powerful and when I think of the Stampede of the Believers as soon as the last note of the closing worship song is played it brings to mind 1 Thessalonians 5:25 (ESV) where Paul wrote simply "Brothers, pray for us."  There are commands throughout Scriptures for us to pray for each other and while we say we do it many times we only pray when it's convenient for us.  It seems almost like foolishness for us to make our family wait a few minutes while we kneel next to someone crying at the altar and just put a hand on their shoulder.  Yet that simple act of prayer could be a huge blessing to that person who is pouring themselves out in front of God.

I know this is Monday but I want you to think ahead to your Wednesday night church service or Sunday service.  When the service ends, instead of rushing for the door spend an extra minute in your seat.  Look around the sanctuary and ask the Lord to show you someone who could use an encouraging word, prayer, a hug or just a smile that says someone cares.  The buffet can wait ten minutes...and perhaps your example to your family could set forth a pattern of showing concern for others that will be examples of God's hands and feet for generations to come.