Church Lighting

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works; and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. —Matthew 5:16

     A nobleman in a certain mountain village in Europe, several centuries ago decided he would build a church as a lasting legacy to his community. When the church building was completed, the townspeople gathered for it’s dedication.

    As they admired the beauty of the building they noticed there were no lamps on the walls. They asked “Where are the lamps? How will the church be lit?”

    The nobleman pointed to some brackets on the walls. Then he gave each family a lamp to be carried to the worship services and hung on the brackets on the wall. He said, “Each time you are here, the area where you are seated will be lighted. Each time you are not here, that area will be dark. Whenever you fail to come to church, some part of God’s house will be dark.”

    Jesus said, “Neither do man light a candle, and put it under a bushel, on on a candlestick: and it giveth light to all that are in the house” (Mt. 5:15). The candlestick represents the church (see Rev. 1:20). 

    When you are not present at church services, the ministry of God is handicapped (1 Cor. 12:12-27). You are missed when you are not at church… and you miss a blessing.