Here’s a New Year’s Resolution for you: Make Sunday worship a habit, and God will make it a joy.

Many of us were brought up to go to church every Sunday. For some, it wasn’t a choice! We had to go; it was a given! I always wondered if God was pleased since the choice to go wasn’t mine.

As I got older, however, I learned to love our form of worship, and I wouldn’t miss that Sunday morning experience for anything. Writing this Clothesline brought to mind those few occasions as an adult when I actually didn’t go to church on a Sunday. There was a time when I had a choice…and I chose to stay home. And it bothered me all week! Why? I’m not sure, but many years later, in a conversation with another clergyperson about this same subject, he said something that gave me pause. He said, “People need to make church a habit.” What? Church… a habit? That’s not why we should go to church.

Today I finally understand what that means: Make church a habit, and God will make it a joy. It came to me like a bolt of lightning. Have you ever gone to church because you felt you had to, but you were glad you came when your Sunday experience was over? You felt the joy of the Lord!

Sunday might be a good day to sleep in, but why not give God one hour of your day; he did give you the other twenty-three!

About the author: Previously the priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Lake Placid for 21 years, Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson is now the Priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in LaBelle.