What if this congregation were composed of people just like you?
Imagine You Are A Heart Surgeon
(This article was written by my father. It appeared in his congregation’s bulletin exactly two months before his death. - Cary)
One Lord’s Day, as we traveled, we visited the church in Dothan, AL, in my opinion, a great church. One of the many friendly men said, “This (the number present) is not nearly what it is in the morning.” He still managed a smile, but I knew his heart was hurting over the absent. He gave me the address of a schoolmate I hadn’t seen since school to write and encourage her to strengthen her commitment to God in the church.
About the same time a preacher’s wife said, “We would never have moved here, if we had known attendance would be so lopsided.” She was discouraged. She talked about the effect it was having on her son, presently one of Cary’s best friends.
Many would say, if asked, “No, I don’t come but one hour a week, but I would never do anything to discourage those who choose to. No, I wouldn’t like to come to Bible study, if I ever needed it, and find the doors shut.”
What if this congregation were composed of people just like you? Would it be an encouraging place? How do you encourage the church when you have chosen another priority?
“Coeur” (core) is French for “heart.” To “encourage” is to “give heart.” To “discourage” is to “take the heart out.” The hearts of our brothers and sisters are in your hands. What kind of surgeon do you intend to be…tonight? Do our hearts good. Come be with us.
-Lyle Gillis
November 2, 2008
