A peculiar energy

For the last few Sundays I’ve filled the pulpit for a small church that has lost its critical mass. Attendance has dwindled to a faithful few, all of whom are running out of energy. Not a happy situation. Still, when I enter the church building, I feel a sense of welcome and warmth from the folks who are keeping the place afloat.

Last Sunday we had visitors, an older couple, tall and friendly-faced. They arrived early to get a seat. (God bless them!) They were the first ones at church, other than myself, the organist, and the person tending the coffeepot. We chatted and I discovered that they were from out of town and just passing through. Eight more people showed up for worship, bringing us to a dozen.

Because the numbers are small, I’ve been informal. Before reading the scripture and sermon, I’ve tried a sharing time to help us engage a different part of our brain before hearing the word. On this Sunday, our theme was treasure. “What do you treasure?”