photo #8636319

We may be glad to head for the House of God, but I can remember my children not always feeling any joy, especially as teenagers. The Israelites, on the other hand, were happy to have a place of worship, where they could give thanks to God for all the times that they had been rescued from enemy nations. In today’s world, most of us can worship God in safety and so we take it for granted. In Sweden last year, a Catholic church was undergoing renovations and needed a place to hold its services so the Lutheran church in Lund, Sweden, allowed the Catholic parish to hold its services until the renovations were complete. When churches have been damaged, other churches step up and help out. In all of these situations, people are very grateful and are happy for the opportunity to worship God. Why is it that the churches aren’t full every Sunday? One of my friends who was pastor of a Congregational church was thrilled when he finally had enough children, ten, so that they could put on a Christmas pageant. Ten children! Another of my friends, a Baptist minister, had to allow another denomination to rent his church in order to pay the utility bills. Many of the churches in my area have part time ministers who work multiple churches to earn enough money to feed their families. We are so complacent. And yet, any time a church closes, there is an outcry. How did this happen, people ask. Of course the answer is that people aren’t attending and they’re not supporting their churches. If we want to turn this around, then we need to be the people who are glad to go up to the house of God and give him praise and glory.Prayer: Oh God, we say we love you and want to be with you but we are often complacent and take your presence for granted. Help us to show our love by spending time with you and your community of believers in your house of prayer and praise. Amen.