When gas prices were over four dollars per gallon a few years back, I remember hearing talk about that being so expensive that some folks could not afford to go to church. Take a minute and figure out how much it costs you to drive to church. If you live 20 miles from the building (which is more than most) and you get 15 miles per gallon (which is less than most), then it could cost you (at $4/gallon) about $10 to drive to church, which might be $5 more than normal.
I understand that some folks are on fixed income, and I’m not trying to minimize that at all. But most folks could find an extra $5 for almost anything they wanted to do. (And the reality is that for most people it would only be about $2-3 more to make the drive.) As has been said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” If it is a financial hardship, I can just about guarantee there are good brethren who would help.
While some might try to explain how they can’t afford to go to church, I have found for myself that I can’t afford not to go. How important is it to you?