MY FATHER'S HOUSE

And said unto them, It is written,

My house shall be called the

house of prayer; but ye have

made it a den of thieves.

Matthew 21:13

Our pastor in recent days has spoken of the hundreds of churches in our country that have either closed their doors or who will likely do so in the coming year. This is such a foreign thing in my thinking, unbelievable really.

Each one of those churches went through some kind of a building program, putting in a foundation, erecting walls and a roof. Parishioners couldn't stop with that. There was painting walls, cutting places for windows, purchasing furniture (never chairs except for Sunday school rooms) and maybe even a piano. So much love and sacrifice went into each of those buildings, that are now no longer a place of worship. There are families who purchase such church buildings to fix up for residences and some redone inside to be a restaurant or bar. Those former church members in the building days, filled with excitement, could never have have foreseen such a thing happening to their precious place of worship.

Growing up in a rather small Baptist church in southern Illinois, I thought my church had been in place for years. It's still a going church that hasn't closed its doors. Our small town had several churches. Some have rebuilt or moved to a bigger building. I will say though that I've not known of one of them that has done more damage than good to the community.

So, what's happened to other churches? We might say that closings could never happen to our place of worship, but I'm sure those folks with the locked-door churches never thought it would happen to them. The building's didn't lock themselves. The building's didn't turn off their own air conditioning, cancel utility services. No, someone with a key and some authority had to, with heavy heart, do those things even to the point of locking the front door for the last time.

Again, what happened? The fact is that we are human beings and through time we change. Many age and have health issues, some move to other locations because of new jobs, pastors come and go, while a few do all the work and they burn out.

The worst thing to happen is the loss of spiritual priority and making room for things of the world to come into a church setting. Our culture determines a lot of that. Churches feel forced to keep up with other churches in types of worship, classes offered that are of little benefit, and overall spiritual enthusiasm ebbs in the light of the busy-ness of life and outside activity that cries for our attention. There are many denominations struggling with theological issues that for the most part are heretical. In it all, pastors try to keep things going but they too are human and grow weary.

One of our huge sources of strength and energy often left to the wayside is that of prayer. The lack of it in church life is a huge cause for empty pews. Prayer is our lifeline not just on a personal basis for everyday living. It is also the lifeline for the church. We often forget during the week to pray for our church, it's staff and workers, it's strength and influence. When that happens our church becomes weak and often can fall prey to flimsy or false teaching often from outside seminar or conference speakers. Satan would love to infect God's church with anything possible to bring it to a halt, eating away at it's very foundation. We must remember that Jesus is the church's one foundation.

Every church is important in God's eyes. Prayer will open those locked doors, resume utilities and will breathe life anew, bringing together again that church family to re-build and worship as God intends.

Father, forgive me for being lax in my prayer life. There is great power when Your people pray. Call our people back to prayer, knowing You hear Your people when we cry unto You . In Jesus' precious name....Amen