As I was traveling yesterday I came upon a sad sight. There ,next to the highway,stood a little white church. It's windows had all been removed, the front doors missing and the bell gone from the bell tower. A scrap of wood or something hung precariously out of the bell tower, obviously left after the bell was ripped out. So, there it sits abandoned and apparently slated for destruction. The headstones in the small cemetery alongside this church are old and worn, and seem to be watching.
The scene is a sad one indeed. How many marriages,baptisms and other joyous occasions have taken place there. Yes, I'm sure there were also many moments of great sorrow there as well. Lives began and ended in that little church. How many years the birth of Jesus was celebrated in that building, and how many years the death and resurrection were also remembered. How many souls ?
I am not familiar with this particular church or its' congregation. Everything is speculation. Perhaps I am overreacting and a new church is to be built. Buildings do get old and sometimes replacing is smarter than repairing. Perhaps the current building is not large enough. Those would be my hopes but I have no confidence in that scenario. This church is about the fourth one I have seen in recent years,in my small part of the country, to close it doors. I wonder how many small churches across the land have closed. The little country churches are becoming another piece of Americana it would seem. The " mom and pop " church, you might say.
In keeping with what I wrote about yesterday, I thought this discovery in line with my thoughts. America is beginning to close the door on God. His house is being closed in favor of the Walmarts and other shopping opportunities. Society is trying to buy their way to happiness. We are devoting more time to ourselves and less to our God. The large churches will always be with us. It is these small self sufficient community churches that are in jeopardy. The unfortunate reality is money is required to maintain them. A dwindling congregation equals dwindling funds. The result is inevitable. A shame we don't spend as much money supporting our church as we do buying frivolous junk at the store. Many think nothing of giving Starbucks five dollars for a cup of coffee but give nothing in support of their church. The reason is, they do not have a church. A self fulfilling prophecy.
Every time I see one of these little churches closed and empty I become upset. I just see it as a sign of decay. Our society is decaying ,slowly and surely. History does repeat itself. An overview of the great societies of the world show this. My parents generation has been called the "greatest generation." It very well may be the absolute truth. Unless we return to the path that the founding fathers laid out for us, I can see no other alternative. It is true that the founding fathers established the separation of church and state. It is also my belief that their intent was not the exclusion of the church for everyday society. Quite the contrary, they intended for our nation to be governed using Judeo-Christian principles. Those principles begin in the home and the community. What is it saying when the " community " churches, churches that have stood for a hundred years or more, are abandoned and destroyed. Call me " Chicken Little " but it speaks volumes to me and I fear for the future of our nation.
The scene is a sad one indeed. How many marriages,baptisms and other joyous occasions have taken place there. Yes, I'm sure there were also many moments of great sorrow there as well. Lives began and ended in that little church. How many years the birth of Jesus was celebrated in that building, and how many years the death and resurrection were also remembered. How many souls ?
I am not familiar with this particular church or its' congregation. Everything is speculation. Perhaps I am overreacting and a new church is to be built. Buildings do get old and sometimes replacing is smarter than repairing. Perhaps the current building is not large enough. Those would be my hopes but I have no confidence in that scenario. This church is about the fourth one I have seen in recent years,in my small part of the country, to close it doors. I wonder how many small churches across the land have closed. The little country churches are becoming another piece of Americana it would seem. The " mom and pop " church, you might say.
In keeping with what I wrote about yesterday, I thought this discovery in line with my thoughts. America is beginning to close the door on God. His house is being closed in favor of the Walmarts and other shopping opportunities. Society is trying to buy their way to happiness. We are devoting more time to ourselves and less to our God. The large churches will always be with us. It is these small self sufficient community churches that are in jeopardy. The unfortunate reality is money is required to maintain them. A dwindling congregation equals dwindling funds. The result is inevitable. A shame we don't spend as much money supporting our church as we do buying frivolous junk at the store. Many think nothing of giving Starbucks five dollars for a cup of coffee but give nothing in support of their church. The reason is, they do not have a church. A self fulfilling prophecy.
Every time I see one of these little churches closed and empty I become upset. I just see it as a sign of decay. Our society is decaying ,slowly and surely. History does repeat itself. An overview of the great societies of the world show this. My parents generation has been called the "greatest generation." It very well may be the absolute truth. Unless we return to the path that the founding fathers laid out for us, I can see no other alternative. It is true that the founding fathers established the separation of church and state. It is also my belief that their intent was not the exclusion of the church for everyday society. Quite the contrary, they intended for our nation to be governed using Judeo-Christian principles. Those principles begin in the home and the community. What is it saying when the " community " churches, churches that have stood for a hundred years or more, are abandoned and destroyed. Call me " Chicken Little " but it speaks volumes to me and I fear for the future of our nation.
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