Summer Doldrums in the Church – Can I just talk about that a minute. I promise I won’t go too long… maybe 500 words…perhaps a few more but not much. Summer is such an exciting time! There’s family reunions, vacations, weekend outings and so much to captivate our attention. And then there’s church. That seems to be the way of the world. After all… Church will be there in September, right? Well… I hope so.
Mariners of ancient times feared the doldrums. If they were caught on the sea without wind for too long they could die of thirst or starvation. I don’t want to scare you but church folk are much the same. If they go too long without spiritual motivation they either dry up and blow away or when they start moving again they’re pretty lethargic and stiff. Usually by Christmas they have both oars in the water and they’re back in sync with spiritual life again. Why is it that folks think they need to take a vacation from God? Oh they’d never put it like that… they’d say it in a more culturally accepted phrase, like
“I work all week, I need the weekend to wind down…”
“Summer’s the only time our family can spend time together…”
Three thoughts about that and then I’ll be still
Peace be still…
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Every storm in life we expect the Savior to come in and swoop us out of, or at least calm the waves, but we believe He understands our lack of commitment.
Let the Dead bury Their Dead
Luke 9:58-60
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Friends and family go out into eternity and we’re sad and broken hearted and we cry out to God wondering if they were saved… and we’re left wondering. They didn’t even make church a priority in September or December. And the times that you were with them, Christ never came into the conversation. It was summer… we had other commitments.
These kids!
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
School gets back in session in August and your child’s mouth gets back in session the day after. They’re attitude stinks, they have no respect for anyone and you begin crying out to the Lord to help your family. The public school is surely to blame. And God’s response goes unheard… ‘They never attended the school I established on Sunday… I really want to make a difference.”
Summers’s short… so is life.