Day of Darkness

Today is day of darkness. Halloween is not neccessarily evil, but driving through the streets or strolling through the grocery store, it definitely seems to be a day in which evil is celebrated. Today, my heart feels dark as well. I go to a small, struggling congregation in the Midwest, and this morning, even though the sermon was beautiful, the people were sad. I cried to two women, and they cried to me. People are hurting here. I'm guessing we're not the only church feeling this way. In a world in which people "shop 'til they drop" as far as church is concerned, surely there are still churches out there in which the people stick around even though the church may be going through a valley. Or maybe, like ours, it has never quite been able to rise up out of the valley, even after more than a decade. And yet, the Word of God is preached here! There have been times of growth and glimmers of happiness! I believe God can do a great miracle in our small body. We have only to learn (to really learn!) how to love one another. Loving broken sinners isn't always easy, but as Christ showed us, it can be done, and it must be done by all who call themselves His disciples. Will you go on this journey with me? I am hoping that as I work through my thoughts and feelings on this blog, answers will come, or at least encouragement from others who may be in the same situation. The Kingdom of heaven is like a pearl buried in a field - so much of the powerful work Christ is doing to bring His Kingdom to earth is unseen and what the world would call, small. My church is a perfect example of this. If yours is too, I hope you will not despair, but will come along with me, loving people who are hard to love, and always being willing to put one foot in front of the other.