It was humbling to hear the other pastor talk about his church building. He said that in the summer he has about eighty people present on Sunday morning. In the winter the number goes down to about twenty. I wondered why there were so few worshiping in the winter. I understood when he told us the church has no heat other than a small wood stove in the corner. The church was built in 1777. It has never been heated. Sometimes the temperature is negative four degrees Fahrenheit and still the people come to hear Christ’s word. That’s faithfulness. How many of my people would come if the church was that cold? Would I even be there? This Latvian pastor would, and does, every Sunday through the winter.
My people didn’t complain when we told them it would cost over $300,000 to update the heat and air conditioning in our building. When we had no heat on Christmas Eve, we were afraid attendance would suffer. After all, the original system served us well for forty-seven years. But to raise ninety thousand dollars for a church in Latvia to have heat? I couldn’t imagine asking for that.
But why not? Twenty-two churches in two circuits working together could raise that money. It might take every congregation’s women’s guild and men’s club two years of fund raising, but it could be done. Would it be worth it? I think about those twenty people coming in the frigid cold because they needed to hear God’s word. Of course it’s worth it! With heat, perhaps more would come.
The people of Latvia are used to cold of another kind. During the Soviet occupation their churches were converted into stables and swimming pools. Their pastors were persecuted. Their people lost basic human needs when they confessed being Christian. Then, in 1990, the Soviets left. People streamed back to church for a while, but old habits continued. On Christmas the church is full. The Sunday after, more empty than full. The pastor still preaches. The women still come. They are faithful.
The Latvian pastor preached a fine sermon in our church that day. He talked about the importance of being faithful and the grace of God in Jesus Christ for sinners. He said not every unpleasant thing that happens to us is persecution. When we suffer because we are confessing the truth, we suffer with Christ. It was right from the Bible. He inspired me to be faithful at all costs and not to complain about any material thing.
We are truly blessed. We think we don’t have enough money, but the truth is we prioritize with a view to ourselves. Broaden the field of vision and we have the means to bless thousands with peace and eternal life.
I’m hoping that a 300 year old church in Latvia will have heat for the first time. I also hoping that I might have something to do with it. All glory be to God.
UPDATE: As of September 22, 2008 construction is well on the way to installing a radiant heat system with a new floor and geothermal heat pumps. Solo Deo gloria! --JFW
Posts
