A member of a certain church, who previously had been
attending services I regularly, suddenly stopped coming to church.
After a few weeks, the Pastor decided to visit. The Pastor found the ·man at home alone,
sitting before a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for the Pastor’s visit, the man welcomed
him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The Pastor
made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated
the dance of the flames around the burning logs.
Alter some minutes, the Pastor took the fire tongs,
carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the
hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched
this in silent contemplation as the one lone ember’s flame flickered and
diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it
was cold and lifeless.
The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to
leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold dead ember and placed it back in
the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more the light and warmth of the burning coals
around it.
I As the Pastor reached the door to leave, his host said
with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and
especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
We live a world today which tries to say too much with too
little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes, the best sermons are the ones left
unspoken
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