The Old Adam Lives!

I am blessed to be a member of a congregation that has a pastor who is a terrific preacher and teacher. He does all he can to wield the two edged sword that is the Word of God. He takes his job very seriously and prepares for his sermons and pastor’s classes as if someone’s life depended on it.   Someone’s does.

I went to his ‘Life with God’ class last evening. The theme of the class is ‘The Last Days’, a study of the Book of Revelation. Interesting stuff, no?

No.

Apparently not to our congregation. Last week we had 3 people and last night we had 2. This is in a congregation of over a hundred families.

It boggles my mind as to how people can ignore such a great gift as to study the scriptures with a pastor with over 30 years experience in teaching the bible.   

Well, in one sense it is understandable. There are a lot of things going on in our lives. We’ve got dinner to prepare… we’re tired from a day at the office or wherever…we’ve got certain television programs that can’t be missed… it’s a long drive… I was just there on Sunday… it’s stuff I already know…etc., etc., etc..

I usually love it when a new person stumbles in off the street into one of these bible studies. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. I was almost glad that no one did last night. It is a sad commentary on the state of our congregation that only two could tear themselves away from all of the other important activities in their lives to spend an hour and a half (or less) with their pastor and the Word of God.  I could just imagine what a newcomer might think if he or she were to arrive at a miserable showing like that… “What’s wrong here?”.

Plenty.

    – Steve Martin 

Filed under: Apathy in the Church | 6 Comments »