Growing cold

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

It was a dark and cold night as the pastor walked through crunchy snow.  Just ahead: a small home with light glowing from the window and smoke curling from the chimney.  He knocked on the door; after a few moments it swung inward, revealing a startled member of the congregation.  “Come in, pastor, come in and get warm” the man said, taking his guest’s coat while the visitor made sure he didn’t track snow into the house. 

A welcoming fire danced in the hearth; both men sat down in chairs to enjoy its warmth as they talked.  The conversation was polite but superficial—the pastor hadn’t seen this man in worship for months, making the visit a little awkward.  At one point, while the host went to get drinks, the pastor took a poker and teased a small burning lump away from the rest of the fire.  

Eventually, the conversation crawled to a halt.  The pastor gestured towards the fireplace and said, “Do you notice that little piece of coal?  When it was nestled up snugly with its brothers, it burned nicely.  But once it became separated, look—it has grown cold and gone out.”  As both men stood to shake hands in farewell, the parishioner nodded his head and said, “I understand, pastor. I’ll be in church starting this Sunday.”

Each day that you are surrounded by professional associates, your work skills stay sharp.  Each day that you attend school, your academic skills retain their edge.  But when you neglect your skills, they begin to atrophy.  An Olympic athlete keeps training constantly because she knows that backsliding is easy to fall into and hard to recover from. And neglecting your relationship with the Lord Jesus can lead to a faith that grows cold and eventually dies out.

You can hum a favorite hymn to yourself at home, but church music sounds much better when sung with a bunch of other people.  You can read the Bible in your easy chair, but there’s value in hearing the Good Book explained in sermons and discussed in Bible study.  You can pray in your bed to be forgiven, but there is comfort in hearing a pastor reassure you that Christ has taken away your guilt.  Don’t risk growing cold; come back to church, this week and every week.