By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I have always been fascinated by old houses, especially ones like this once-grand old place in New Milford, Connecticut.  Houses like this can be seen pretty regularly anywhere around the country.  It is not unusual to see a scene like this on any given day.

A big old house.  It was once a home, no doubt, to a lovely family.  There may have been children running up and down the stairs.  During the summer time daylight hours, the kitchen storm door would have slammed shut many times with their comings and goings.  May a large staircase led up through the center of the house to a second floor landing.  Off that space would have been a handful of bedrooms.

Large windows let in as much natural light as the sun allowed for any particular day, and the spacious front porch would have seen many a friend gathering for an evening of watching the lightning bugs, sharing tales of days gone by or “the one that got away,” and just enjoying the music of thousands of crickets and frogs.

It’s truly a shame to see such a place fall into ruin, seemingly forgotten to everyone and everything except for the creepy crawlies and kudzu vines.  Where are the folks that once lived, worked, and played here?  Where are the families that grew up on these grounds?  Where are the voices that were once heard all over the place?  Alas, they are no more.

Sadly, our countryside is full of church houses that fit all the above descriptions as well.  Where is everyone?  Home is no long a priority for too many younger generations of people.  Church is no longer a priority for far too many people of all ages.  Where are the voices?  Where are the little ones?  —  Where are we?

As your week moves along, I pray you’ll consider making a visit that perhaps you’ve not made in a while.  Head down the main highway.  You won’t have to go too far.  Find a Bible-believing and preaching House of God.  Take a seat, join in the conversation, and experience what it means to go back home!

Just a thought.