Have you ever heard of a “CEO Christian”? How about a “Chreaster”?
If you haven’t, they’re slang terms for people who only attend worship services twice a year—most notably, on Christmas and Easter (CEO stands for “Christmas and Easter Only” while “Chreaster” is more self-explanatory).
I’ve been at Hillside for nearly seventeen years, and I can attest to the validity of these types of people. I never see them except for those two days, presumably because they feel those are the more “important” days of the year. That’s not the case at all—every Sunday is important—but some apparently feel that’s enough.
If that was your mindset, then, as an Israelite, you wouldn’t have made it.
God required all the males in Israel to appear in Jerusalem three times a year: Feast of Weeks, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Feast of Booths. Those festivals are several weeks apart, which means most people will travel to Jerusalem, celebrate, then travel back.
Would you be willing to make that trip three times a year?
For the average jews who lived in the area eventually known as Galilee, you’re talking about a roughly 90-mile trip each way. Those who are in more remote tribes would obviously take longer, but even if you’re hoofing it at a pace of twenty miles a day, even a Galilean would still need about a week to get there and a week to get back.
When you factor in that many of these festivals are a week each, that’s now a three-week commitment, three times a year. Nine weeks out of fifty-two total in the year are spent traveling to, from, or in the process of worshipping Jehovah.
Then you factor in expenses, which include not only travel, lodging, and time away from work, but also the gift itself that must be presented during the festivals. Those amounts are personal to each worshipper, but they have to be substantial.
When you combine them all together, fulfilling the commandments of God about the thrice-yearly worship (not to mention the other festivals in the year), that worship to God is going to hurt. It is designed to be expensive on purpose, and it certainly is for the average person.
Now, think about what we do. We live in a world where most people travel less than an hour from their church home. And almost every one of those trips is made in an air-conditioned vehicle with comfortable seats, music, and a coffee in hand. Good conversation (hopefully) abounds.
Let’s say the preacher is long-winded and the service runs long. In those situations, a service could start at nine and go to noon, so three hours total. Factor in the above-mentioned hour of travel time to and from, and now you’ve got five hours of your week invested in worship.
Even when you factor in rising gas prices, the cost is laughable compared to what Israelites were told to do, which is probably why many of them didn’t do it. Many made excuses, or said they could worship at home, or argued the hypocrisy of those who made the pilgrimages.
Regardless, they didn’t go, and that explains why, over time, the people became more and more distant from God.
Our worship is already convenient. It’s already less taxing. It’s already simpler.
And if we can’t even bother to go more than twice a year, what are the chances that we’re strong enough to do the other things required by God?