It was a jarring thing to pull into my mother’s hometown of Springhill, Nova Scotia to see the big “Ross Refrigeration” sign in front of the Presbyterian Church. My cousin attended that church and my sisters and I have, on more than one occasion, sung in the choir.
The congregation had shrunk so that they could no longer sustain ministry. The only option was to close their doors and sell their building. How many churches that are still open have lost the fire of faith and are now chilly communities, just one breath away from closure?
When someone walks into your sanctuary tomorrow, will they feel the fire of a passionate faith? Will they be warmly welcomed? Or will they need to guard their heart against the coldness they will experience?
Psalm 15 reminds us that we are to come before God bringing our most authentic and best selves to worship:
“Here is the answer: The one who lives with integrity, does what is right, and speaks honestly with truth from the heart.
The one who doesn’t speak evil against others or wrong their neighbor, or slander friends.”
When you step into worship, do you bring the best of you you can? Even more importantly, do you allow worship to transform you in ways that will inform how you live the rest of the week?
Our nation, world, and church are all experiencing a crisis of civility and trust that are fracturing communities with chilling consequences. Our churches—meaning all clergy and laity—need to be a blazing beacon of hope in these troubled times. We need to bring love into a world that has forgotten what love feels like and how it changes how we see one another. We need to bring hope into a world that has resigned itself to despair. We need to bring God’s generous grace into a world that defaults to judgement and division.
May your church be on fire with the Holy Spirit tomorrow. And may you leave worship forever changed. May Love guide your every step, every action, every word.
