This pandemic, this corona virus of 2020-2021, has had a fear-laden affect on our entire world, and perhaps more on the Church of our LORD Jesus Christ across America. Because of the C-word and its restrictions on gathering, churches have had the projected need to use various forms of social media to get their services, at least the message, out to people in their homes.
Over all, this has had a negative effect on regular church attendance. People will gather in large crowds to do their shopping and entertainment, but church attendance has dropped significantly, some to an all-time low. And those whom have decided they rather stay home in their jammies to worship, slowing began to lose the fire and encouragement gathering in spiritual close fellowship affords. Soon, even observation on media begins to wane to a slightly smoldering isolated chunk of ineffective coal.
I had remembered this story that I had read years ago; I share it in the hopes your fire will not ebb:
Lonely Ember Story
(Author Unknown)
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor sat comfortably, but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and “dead as a doornail.” Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.
Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
Beloved believer, where will you be next Sunday?
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Flame On!
