What if church parking lots were as full on Sunday mornings as the local bars are on Saturday night?

My dear friends,

Let us pray. In the name of the father, and of his son, and of his holy spirit, one God, Amen.

This past weekend we had a lot of activities here in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. The Kentucky Derby, The Flying Pig Marathon, and Cinco De Mayo celebrations, were all happening. As I was driving around, and passed by crowded bar after crowded bar, and seeing 150,000 people with cocktails in their hands, gambling, during the live broadcast of the derby, I felt ill. How is it that we, as a nation, can care more about racing ponies and consuming copious amounts of alcohol, than we do about the Word of our Lord? I think we are absolutely betting on the wrong horse. I wonder what if the church parking lot overflowed with vehicles as abundantly as the local watering hole? What if every pew was occupied instead of lonely bar stools?

We would witness a profound reckoning of priorities. The gathering of believers would not be a mere obligation or routine, but a sacred assembly fueled by a burning desire to exalt the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  The parking lot, once desolate, would be transformed into a testament to the fervent devotion of God’s people.

Our worship would be marked by a holy reverence and awe. We would come before the throne of grace with hearts laid bare, trembling at the majesty of the Almighty. Every word uttered, every song sung, would be an offering of praise and adoration to the One who is worth of all honor and glory.

The impact of such a phenomenon would extend far beyond the church walls. Our communities would be shaken to their core as the power of the Gospel breaks forth with irresistible force. Hearts hardened by sin would be softened by the love of Christ and lives would be forever changed by the saving grace of God. Yet, we shall not be deceived by the allure of this vision. We must confront the sobering reality that our world is steeped in darkness, and the hearts of men are prone to wander. The enemy prowls like a tiger, seeking whom he may devour, and the temptations of this world threaten to lead us to astray.

I pray that we gird ourselves with the armor of God and stand firm in the faith. Let us not grow weary in doing good, but strive for the prize of the upward call of our Heavenly Father. May we not fill only the parking lots of churches, but every corner in our lives with the presence of Jesus, so that His light may shine ever so bright in a world shrouded in darkness. May we be consumed with a passion for the supremacy of God in all things, and may our lives be a living testimony to His unfailing love and boundless grace. And may our prayers and unwavering devotion bring us closer towards the day when every knee bows down and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Lord of lords, the king of eternity, to the glory of God the father, amen.