Eric Reece
I recently returned from out of town on a Wednesday when I started to notice the number of churches having mid-week services.
As I passed by, I was surprised at the number with their parking lots full. In a time when lower attendance has caused some congregations to dismiss Wednesday and Sunday evening services, Wednesday is still a church night in our surrounding area.
Where I grew up, businesses in town closed early, and school and civic events were not scheduled on Wednesday. Wednesday evenings belonged to the church.
As a youth, I remember going to church on Wednesdays. We would play football or basketball until the time came to go in for youth Bible study. We were supposed to have Bible verses memorized, but rarely recited them correctly without the prompting of friends.
A mostly Protestant practice, Wednesday church started out as prayer meetings. In England, those outside the Church of England met weekly for prayers and scripture readings to draw closer to God. This continued in the colonies with the Puritans. Over time, Wednesday meetings were held to pray for revivals going on in the community.
The faithful gathered together with or without the preacher and prayed for each other, the community and the unsaved. This was a time to weep at the mourners bench and prepare your hearts for Sunday. As American society developed more leisure time, the gatherings became more formal – with some churches having midweek worship with hymns and a sermon from the preacher.
In recent years, churches have started having suppers on Wednesday. Some are potlucks and some take an offering to cover the cost of a prepared meal. There may be a special program or speakers, but it is mostly a time to gather and fellowship with your church family.
Some churches have small groups that meet during the week. This may be any night of the week or during the day. It may be in a home or at a coffee shop. These groups encourage discipleship, support relationships and build community within the church.
In America, with Christianity and church attendance on the decline, what is the future of midweek services? As long as the church doors are open, spiritual training is provided and people are coming, churches will still have midweek services.
I offer two invitations to you this season of Lent – the time of preparation before Easter. If you are able, find a church with a midweek service and attend. It may be a Bible study, preaching or singing but go and be open to the Spirit. If you do not have a church home, Wednesday is a good day to visit.
The other invitation is to remember Wednesday as a time of prayer. The middle of the week is a good time to take stock of how things are going and pray for help to continue the week.
Whether you can make it to church or not, know that God loves you and wants the best for you.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.