“Lord, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides.” (Psalm 26:8 HCSB).

“I was glad when they said to me ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1 NKJV).

Very few feel this way today. Church attendance has become for many a chore not a choice; an obligation rather than a delight. We do it because we have to, not because we want to. In fact, more and more professed believers are opting to get in their worship time on the golf course or by tuning in to a television preacher. Many believers are even quick to point out that the church is the believer not the building.

While it is true that the church is the saints and not the structures, still we must remember that the Bible describes the gathering of believers as “the church.” The writer of Hebrews warned, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25 NIV).

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services 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 his 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.

After 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 all this in quiet 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 with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

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."